Chosen Again
by The Last Founder
Summary: 74 lives since his original, Harry Potter, or the being that once went by that name, is tired. He has had enough, yet his lives continue. Now, he's reborn into a very different life than many of the others he's had. Once again he's got to save the world... With a bit more. Now, he's got to save the Galaxy... Because he's the Chosen One... again.(Abandoned)
1. Chosen Again

**Part of a Master of Death series on my Profile called Master of Nothing, description on there**

* * *

**Life 74: World's Greatest**

* * *

**"It's over Moriarty."**

"You've fought for too long, come back from beyond the brink, just to prove you are my equal," I said to the only man to truly match me in might, magic to be damned, this man had done the impossible, just as I had.

But it was time he learned the absolute, and undeniable truth about the two of us.

He grinned a grin so familiar, his teeth white as cotton and as rotten as mud, the corruptive nature of the man shining through him like fog in a marsh.

"Took you long enough to admit it Holmes, I am your weakness, your foil, your… equal, in all things. We… are… the same!" Moriarty near squeaked, his excitement loud and fierce, his wildest dream likely realizing as he stepped ever closer to me. The wild rain falling upon us like hail in a field, sharp and piercing for us, pulling us closer to the edge.

I never thought I would face my worst foe on Reichenbach, but how fitting. Rather than a courtyard of equal ground, my end would come on a downward spiral, a harsh landing being all that awaited me as I faced the final problem of this life.

I held the final solution.

I laughed at him, a rare chuckle coming to my lips, a thing that wasn't common in this life of mine, a stark contrast to those that had graced my immortality before.

I had once been an all powerful Emperor, and now I stood as a poor and addict Detective, how odd and fitting.

Moriarty looked at me then, almost seeming lost before anger overtook him then, he predicting what message.

I wouldn't disappoint him.

"But that's where you're wrong Professor, you were never my equal, just a pest. One that needs exterminating." I said as smug as this life had usually brought me, my smile eclipsing his previous one.

He snarled at me, stepping closer to me, his eyes trying to burn into my own with an intensity that tried to scare me.

He failed horribly, yet he still tried.

"If I'm a pest, than you're a rat!" He screamed into my face, his hands flying to grab ahold of me, pushing me against the rocks around us, the rain blinding us.

We began this desperate struggle for ground, our bodies bashing against the falls, each trying to kill the other.

Perhaps we weren't, I knew neither of us truly wanted to kill the other, as our rivalry, if you could call it that, was much too fun to give up… But I knew that this had to end.

Too many innocents had fallen due to Moriarty's schemes, and I could not stand by as he killed more.

Moriarty would fall, here and now… Even if I did too.

"This ends now!" I screamed as loudly of possible, my hands grabbing a hold of his neck, squeezing as hard as possible, Moriarty's eyes bulging in their sockets as he laughed a cold and horrible laugh.

I couldn't take it anymore.

Through the rain and storm, through the anguish and rage, I pulled him to me, and jumped over the edge.

I fell over the falls, and took him with me.

**I had solved the Final Problem.**

* * *

**The familiar darkness greeted me once more.**

I knew this place more than any other being in creation, had seen it, unlike any other.

Except for the entity that ruled this realm.

I didn't even need to turn to know it rested behind me, my spectral essence floating in the void.

_"Hello Death, how are you? I'm just dead, again..."_ I spoke into the void, my voice a mere thought as nothing truly existed here, in the absence of nothingness, only light floating in the darkness.

I felt a warmth in the cold, a familiar greeting from the entity that often acted as my master, despite the fact I was meant to be it's own master.

I had gotten used to it's control however, as one would over three-thousand years of his curse.

I also felt a feeling that felt like pride, so I assume that Death approved of how I handled Moriarty.

It was almost poetic in a sense, as I gave the ultimate sacrifice, the last Sherlock Holmes would make.

Hopefully Watson would never need another, as I was out of miracles.

Pushing away the thoughts of Victorian London, the memories I held of John and Lestrade, Molly and even Mycroft's fat ass.

I will miss the legal Cocaine though, that was a joy.

Brushing that all aside, I asked Death the same question I had asked since I earned access to it's domain.

_"Am I done yet?"_

I felt a cold feeling then, one that I felt every time.

**_"I guess that's a no…"_**

* * *

**Life 75: Chosen Again...**

* * *

**Once again,** I endured a childhood, this once fraught with hardship, just as so many before this one.

However, this one brought back awful memories to my very first, the earliest one, yet different in a way.

Perhaps happier, yet still sad.

I was a slave, once again, but I wasn't alone.

I had a mother, but no father.

She raised me well, despite my master's gruff exterior, teaching me morals and what little she could with how little I was at the time.

She was the mother I had always longed for, and my childhood was almost paradise, if only we hadn't been slaves.

My master ignored me for the most part, deeming it useless, until my third year of life, where he lost us in a bet.

Our master was forced to traded us to another, one much more… unpleasant, if that was possible considering our old master.

As soon as I turned five, my master put me to work in his shop, working away at the appliances he sold, fixing what broken pieces he had found and restoring them to salable quality.

I learned I was good at it, though I had worked with technology like this in previous lives.

The circuits were wired differently, and the power sources were strange, but the tech wasn't too different from Stark's early work, so it was simple to work with.

The robot, or droids as they were called here, were ridiculous simple in comparison, and I even found myself building them.

My master was pleased, so much so that he quit whoring out my mother.

Yes, he didn't know I knew about the job he had forced on her, but I had seen her slinking home bloody and bruised too often to believe anything else.

I had seen her tears as she shook so in her small room, her clothes torn to shreds.

She knew I had figured it out, as her clothes from the night before would be sown and cleaned, appearing like almost like new.

She never said anything, but she would smile a sad smile before she left for the day, I returning it.

Until I stepped up, and started building entirely new droids.

Better droids, and one very, very… special droid.

It took two years of constant hoarding of parts and secretly working on it during the rough hours of night, but he was almost finished.

He was beautiful, and almost ready.

My master would die, **violently and brutally.**

* * *

**When I was seven,** my master wanted my mother to return to prostitution. I heard his screams at her from the shop's back room, my task of working on a sentient Roomba stopped in it's tracks.

The time had come, as I knew it would one day soon.

I knew he would falter, he would cross the line that existed only in my mind, and he finally had given me a reason to end his miserable life.

He gave me it on a golden platter.

Dropping the blasted droid to the ground, I grabbed a small watch-like device I had made in an afternoon, and walked back into the shopfront to find my mother crying and that arrogant fuck sneering at her.

She froze as she saw me, as to her, she had been strong and never cried in front of me.

She didn't understand that she never needed to.

"Boy, back in the shop! This is none of your business!" My so called master screamed at me, his arms flailing wildly as he crossed closer to me, his hand raising as if he was going to strike me.

I knew he wouldn't.

I smiled a smile I had done every night for the past few years, every time I had perfected some portion of my beautiful droid.

In this life, I learned to find joy in the smallest things.

"I'm afraid, MASTER, that this is entirely my business. My mother is not yours or anyone's to use, and you've crossed the line." I said to him, my little voice rising to almost malevolent levels. Unknown to myself at the time, my eyes began to glow an unnatural shade of bright yellow, their light burrowing into my master's eyes.

He began to shake, either from anger or fear, I will never know.

"You… you are my slave! You will leave!" He yelled weakly, perhaps trying to weaken my resolve, but I had so many years under my belt, and so many that I had fought and so many enemies that I had killed.

He was less than nothing, not even worth killing by my own hand, not that I could in this life.

I was a boy, and I had no gifts.

But I had a slave of my own, and it was time to break my own chains.

"I don't think I will, not this time." I said firmly, a chuckle rumbling from my throat as I was the only one let in on the joke.

Seeing the confusion and fear in his eyes, likely shared by my mother as well, I said one simple sentence into my watch.

I called my loyal droid, one that I had recreated from an ancient book that I had found in a tomb of some sorcerer, one long since past.

It was interesting, and gave me the perfect idea of a companion, especially after finding a memory chip hidden deep within the tomb.

I've built what is likely the most powerful droid in the galaxy, at least, I assume he is.

"HK-47, Execute this filthy bug."

**"Joyful Exclamation: With pleasure Master!"**

* * *

**My mother was silent as I removed her Slave Chip.**

I hadn't let Watto know, but I had removed my own chip a month ago after disarming it.

I had found elctro-magnetic fields actually fried my Slave Chip at no effect to myself, creating a whining noise as the fields fried the chip from the inside out.

I had found a malfunctioning Pod-Racer in the desert, the magnetic engine broken beyond repair, yet bleeding fields like bleed from a wound.

It was useful, though disarming the chip burned through the back of my head.

I still have the burn on the back of my head, but I had HK-47 remove the chip as soon as possible, the stitches hidden beneath my blonde hair, the hair growing back quickly to cover my burn marks.

I was concerned however, as my mother remained silent even after I had finished, and even after I had prepared tea for the both of us, hoping to draw her out of her fearful silence.

I had correctly assumed that Watto, grease-bag though he may have been, would have had friends that would want to avenge him.

HK-47's blasters sounding outside the store and the sound of bodies dropping proved me right.

After over thirty minutes and her tea went cold, I laid my hand on hers, trying to get her to look at me.

"Mom, say something. Please…" I begged her, my eyes seeking hers. She had been the best and truest mother I had ever known, and I worried that I had made her fear me.

To my relief though, she did look at me, albeit with slight fear lingering there.

"Ani… what did you do?"

**"What I needed to."**

* * *

**I renamed the store to Sky-Droids.**

We no longer sold junk and garbage as Watto had, but we did carry spare parts of all kinds.

As the name suggested though, I began to sell droids of all kinds, and of my own design.

I had salvaged every droid Watto had in inventory, and created superior droids with fewer parts.

I made droids of each use, from Protocol to Astromech. I even sold inferior Assassin Droids to select customers, HK-40's being the best sellers.

As the galaxy hadn't seen HK droids in hundreds of years and had forgotten them in exchange for vastly inferior droids, Bounty Hunters and influential nobles bought the droids for protection or help.

Of course, I had to ensure that no other HK model was as powerful as my own, from my own logic and from HK-47's own request.

Funny enough, Tatooine was having a tourist rush that it hadn't had in Millennia.

It made me proud, and surprisingly my mother as well, as I expanded the store by three sizes as I bought out the land all around the shop.

I eventually introduced HK-45's, and I swear the planet went crazy for them, lines reaching from here to the Pod-Racing Track, and I got more than a few offers from the Hutt Clan.

That was a wonderful day, when Jabba the Hut himself paid me three million credits for the exclusive rights to the HK Models, meaning only he and his few associates could produce new HK models.

I had no issue with that at all, as I had all sorts of new ideas.

Oh the future was bright indeed, and I wouldn't let anyone step in my way.

Until, well, that day of course.

A day way too similar to my eleventh birthday, oh so many lives ago…

**When a tall man dropped a surprise on me…**

* * *

**(32 BBY)**

* * *

**A tall man,** garbed in tan robes much like a desert dweller, yet different in a faint way, led a group of odd people through the crowded settlement of Mos Espa, the sun bearing down on their heads like an angry god.

His name was Qui-Gon Jinn, and he was part of a secretive order that was at the forefront of the galaxy.

He was a Jedi Knight.

His companions were a young man that was his son in all but blood named Obi-Wan Kenobi, a young woman that thought she could fool him, the Nubian Queen Padmé Amidala, and a creature that tried his patience to an extent that he actually considered murder of an innocent being.

He had never felt the pull of the Dark Side as he did now, yet he remained stoic and strong.

Qui-Gon led the group to a plaza near the spaceport, one where he knew there to be several parts dealers, ones which had to have the Hyperdrive they needed.

He turned to his Padawan, Obi-Wan, and mentioned his idea of checking some of the smaller parts dealers, only to freeze once they entered the familiar plaza he had known… only to not recognize it at all.

Where as there had been several shops selling in the plaza, all providing different services and components, now a single shop stretched wide through the plaza, resembling more of a factory than a store.

"Master, I thought you said a smaller dealer? This looks… much larger." Obi-Wan asked of his master, his eyes looking over the mechanized store, a tower rising from the back of it, steam flowing from exhaust grates on the store roof.

If the store wasn't intimidating enough, armed droids stood in front of the stores, their blasters clearly loaded and set to fire.

Padmé looked obviously bothered, and Qui-Gon hesitated as he wondered how this place could have sprung up so suddenly.

He had been to the planet just a year ago, and this… monstrosity of a store hadn't been here.

"There has to be another parts dealer left on the planet, let's find another." Qui-Gon said to the group, turning to leave, only to see a golden droid phase into visibility.

Qui-Gon was stricken, as he had thought this model of droid had been long forgotten…

An ancient assassin of legend stood before them, twin blasters rigged to it's arms, yet it looked newer than the droid the Jedi had been told of in the ancient texts.

"Statement: No component store exists on Tatooine aside from my Master's store." The droid spoke in a light and polite voice, it's voice pleasing and surprisingly female.

This wasn't anything like the droid Qui-Gon had heard of, and Obi-Wan had noticed.

"Master, is that…?" The young man asked him, his eyes fluttering between the droid and his master, his eyes possibly deceiving him.

Padmé and the Gungan were oblivious and worried… at least Padmé was.

"Introduction: I am DA-80, a Battle-Droidette created by Sky-Droids. I have been assigned to observe the store front and inform potential customers of their unfortunate situation." The droid said smugly, the droid crossing her arms in a standoffish way. "Statement: I have examined your J-type 327 Nubian ship. Without my master, you are never leaving this planet."

With that, the droidette disappeared, leaving the group looking at each other with doubt and worry.

"Master?" Obi-Wan asked of him, his eyes looking once more at his master and then at the store.

"Let us go shopping then, come along." Qui-Gon said with a smile, leading the group to the threatening store, only to stagger backwards.

Unknown to the rest of the group, Qui-Gon felt a pain in his mind greater than any he had felt before, a pressure put upon him of the likes he had never felt before.

**"I feel a disturbance… in the Force."**

* * *

_**"I'm not just human…"**_

I felt power like never before rush through my body, so like Magic yet so much stronger and wilder.

My blood was burning, yet in a way much like a high, my face splitting in a smile.

My eyes took on a glow as lightning leapt from my fingers, the tools around me floating in the air.

"This… is… incredible." I said with a excited laugh, my laughter becoming near insane, only for my newfound powers to disappear as soon as they had come.

That was disappointing, but I knew they existed now… I could use this.

Before I could think more on my potential power, my mother walked into my workshop, a smile on her face, her elegant robes hanging off her.

"Ani, you have customers."

"Where's NE-PO?" I asked her, wondering where my trading droid was. Normally the droid was eager to help customers.

"He's there, but one of them is asking after the owner. I figured you would want to see them." My mother said swiftly before kissing my forehead and walking off, leaving me wondering.

No one ever asks for me, they're often more than fine with buying from a droid.

After all, they assumed all droids got their memories wiped and their business (And what shady items they bought) would be forgotten.

I never wipe my droids, and I have so much blackmail material.

Ignoring the question, I put down the droid head I had been tinkering with, and brushed down my suit, heading towards the door.

Beyond that door would be the gateway to my future, and yet another reminder of my past.

I wonder in the dark of the night, whether I would ever be able to move on.

No matter how well I feel in the day, it's the night where the nightmares come for me.

That's why I could never walk in the dark again, couldn't let the influence control me once again.

**She wouldn't want me to.**


	2. Dealings

**Life 75: Chosen Again**

* * *

**(Skydroid Plaza, Tatooine, 32 BBY)**

* * *

**"How interesting…"** I thought to myself, as I took in the sight of the group that walked inside my store.

An older man, grizzled and sharp, yet he held a bizarre sense of hope within him. I could tell as much from the way he looked for a threat, yet readily smiled at me.

Beside him, stood a young man that could have easily passed for his child, if he hadn't looked so… cold, to the others.

He wasn't angry or anything, just… disconnected.

"How concerning…"

With them, was a young woman dressed in servant's robes, her hair tied in a simple braid… yet I knew her face.

I struggled to remember where, but I had seen it through my business trips… and if I had, then this girl was undercover… Had the Republic found my foundry yet?

Nah, I still had a few years left on the lease.

I instantly disregarded the Gungan, seeing as it definitely wasn't in charge of this makeshift caravan.

I saw the man from before, the older man, approach me.

He was the leader of their group apparently, so I got to business.

"You know, normally people prefer the droid. Their memories can be wiped of course." I said in greeting, my eyes further scrutinizing the group, my gaze returned by the younger man.

The older one gave me a funny look then, and smiled.

"We were hoping to speak with the owner of this establishment. Do you know him?" He asked me, a light tone to his voice as he leant over slightly.

I resisted the urge to command the droids to open fire…

I instead growled, then calmed myself with a sigh.

I had gotten this response before, which is why I built DO-BY.

People questioned a child running an enterprise, not a 'stupid' droid running a shop front.

I blinked and looked straight at the man with as much venom as I could muster.

"I am the owner. Anakin Skywalker, creator and CEO of Skydroids." I introduced myself, an arrogant grin coming to my face, but I had earned such arrogance. One did not usually create a grand company in less than four years, after all.

I had, and I was never usual.

The man looked surprised then, before shrugging it off.

"My apologizes. I need parts for a J-type 327 Nubian Cruiser." He said gracefully, his eyes casually moving over the front line of my droid line. Protocol, Astromech, Ranger and Assault droids stood at attention, some looking their way and others working away at tablets.

Why use perfectly capable droids as display, when I can have them display their skills while filing my taxes?

"Yes, you do." I said confidently, as my prized assistant came into sight. DA-80, my favorite droid of all, and the one I could not work without. I had even given her a name, which could be considered childish, but I had.

Clara, the perfect assistant, and one that I relied upon much too often.

While HK-47 had been a masterful recreation, he had been… disappointed in my choice of business. He lived for conflict, death and dismemberment, and above all else, excitement.

So I kept him on retainer, and allowed him to become an official Mercenary.

HK's reasoning was that there must be more for him to see… and he seemed to believe his former master still lived.

I was sad to see him go, but I felt an odd pride.

My creations were more than just that, creations.

Amazing, as I had experimented with magic before, and never made anything with sentience… until now.

Bringing myself back to the present, to the group looking anxious before me, I began detailing to them their extensive problem…

"My droid informs me that your ship is grounded. Your hyperdrive is broken, your flight capacitor is faulty, and your fuel tanks are ruptured. How you actually managed to land that ship, alive might I add, is beyond my knowledge. For all purposes, you all should be dead." I said with marvel in my voice, my eyes shifting between them in slight shock.

None of them were remotely harmed.

They should be dead, and they weren't…

Before the man could respond though, Clara signaled me with a sonar blip. I had constructed a chip within her that enabled her to release a near-silent noise that was undetectable by most beings and droids… And was connected to my ear piece, of which was hidden by my hair, tied back as it might have been.

She gave a single signal.

I was to be careful, and wait for further information.

There was more to this group than they acted.

"Would it be wrong to assume you sell all of the parts we would need?" The man asked me, his eyes almost narrowing as he truly began to realize that he was totally and uttered screwed.

I smiled.

"Of course. I don't just sell droids, I sell components and blueprints as well. You're incredibly lucky, however, that I have replacement parts for your ship. The Naboo Spaceport was not easy to convince. It took ages to approve a partnership, since the Queen was busy…" I recounted as I thought of the troubles I had establishing a relationship with Naboo as a business partner… only to realize something.

So many surprises today.

_"Must be my birthday."_

I merely glanced at the girl, noticing her pale dramatically as she began to consider if her secret had been blown.

Even if her fellows hadn't realized it, I definitely would not be the one to reveal her.

Playing with a secret was much more fun than revealing it.

"As well, I have a compatible Hyperdrive Generator as well, one of my own design." I stated, Clara holoprojecting from her wrist, the intricate design clear to see.

"How are we to ensure it will work?" The man asked, obviously skeptical, as he should be. I just laughed at his suggestion.

"You merely need to ask the Republic, considering that they've endorsed my business in return for Hyperdrives for each of their official transports, and private charters." I stated, signalling to Clara to start a slideshow of sorts.

From my officials business license, to the signed contracts with the Republic, Coruscant Spaceports, and for a bit of kick, my trade agreement with the Naboo Royal Family.

I truly believe not even the Queen was aware that I was slowly building her planet an army, as no peaceful planet would last long.

The planet was beautiful, so I merely ensured that it would keep such beauty.

This girl looked so shocked to see the contract… her name written by a different hand.

Anger blossomed in her face, and I smiled.

"Oh yes, I was right."

"I see then, very impressive. Now, I have 20,000 Republic dataries. I trust that it will be sufficient for the repairs." The man stated, less of a question and more a statement.

Was… was he threatening me?

However, as I was who I am, I merely laughed in their faces.

"20,000… You really know nothing of my business…" I laughed out, as I snapped for Clara to project my standard prices, the group gasping in shock. "The hyperdrive alone is 70,000 Credits. The parts included, along with maintenance, would cost you roughly 100,000 Credits."

You could hear the whirring of Clara's components then, as silence reigned in the shop once more.

The man turned to me then, his fingers extended, only for the man to grunt in pain.

In less than a second, Clara had grabbed hold of the man's arm, gripping it with the force of a Rancor, stopping him in his tracks.

The group jumped then, especially the young man, who now demanded the man be released.

The group was confused and angry, only for Clara to speak with as much rage as a droid could contain.

"Enraged Statement: Master, the males are Jedi. Their sabers have been categorized and ran along with what records the Republic have on database of their order. Only one matched confirmation." Clara stated with heated frost, as she released the man, only to send a signal out, awakening the Battle droids in the room, alerting them to potential danger.

"Confirmation?" I asked her, watching as the group seemed to be frozen in surprise, aside from the Gungan… who continued to spout some nonsense about enemy droids…?

"Confirmation: Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Savior of Mandalore." Clara stated, almost seeming shocked as she once again phased out of sight.

I knew this man, or, at least I knew the people he had saved.

I would have preferred him to be outright with me, but knowing who he was now… he was likely on the run.

I sighed.

I couldn't just give some of my best components to this group, free of charge… but I did have a lucky solution.

"Do you like games, Master Jedi?" I asked the man, seeing his eyes gain a curious glint to them, as he seemed relieved that I wouldn't attack them just because he was a Jedi.

I'll admit, I knew next to nothing of the Jedi, but I knew they were supposed to be the good guys.

"I have been known to play the occasional game, mostly Pazaak when I've the time. What did you have in mind?" Qui-Gon asked in return, obviously seeing where I was going. Or, at least he thought he did.

I wouldn't give him too hard of a challenge.

"Tatooine is renowned for many things, including myself, but it is well known as a world of sport. Pazaak, Holochess, Podracing, and my personal favor, Dueling." I explained with a grin, as I watched the younger man frown in concern.

He knew what I was going to ask.

"I have a professional interest in the Dueling Arena, and a personal enjoyment of it. Nothing is lethal, and you may always quit… but I do have a soft spot for champions." I explained, a chuckle flying out as I saw the determined look on the man's face.

_**"Oh, I like these people."**_

* * *

**"Mister Skywalker, come to try your hand again?"** An alien I knew well said to me as I approached his booth.

I had become good friends with many of the people involved in the Tatooine Tournament halls, and among them was Towa Mendrel, the Devaronian owner of the stadium, and a dear friend of mine.

Dear enough to bet on me the many times I had fought, even sponsoring me during my early days in the Tournament and providing me the contacts I needed to expand my exploits on the planet, eventually giving me the clout to bring my company off planet.

Hell, he had gotten me contacts on the Inner Rim, which would have been impossible for me unless I had actually went there.

Towa had been the most useful card in my deck, and continued to do so.

"Not today Towa, but I have myself a new champion. He's a fine fighter, and I believe that he'd fare well against the others." I said with a grin, wanting to see the merits of the Jedi Order, and the skill of those trained by it.

"You? Sponsoring a Champion?" Towa said with a deep laugh, as I just rolled my eyes. "Mustafar must have frozen over if you'd actually support a whelp. You bad mouthed the Mandalorian we had in here last year. Who caught your, oh so biased eye, my friend?"

I merely let him laugh then, as I checked the reports from Clara. A stranger customer had come into the shop…. A scarlet Zabrak, asking for his "friends."

Clara had turned him away, implying company standards and the need to actually purchase something to remain in the store.

He hadn't been happy.

Things were getting very interesting, of that I was sure just from the footage.

"He's far from a whelp. In fact, I'd wager that he defeats every single champion." I said confidently with not a hint of bluster, as I knew, or hoped, that the man was truly who he had seemed.

A warrior.

Towa stared at me in shock, as I just grinned in return.

"How… how much were you thinking?" Towa asked me wearily, his red eyes glowing with excitement.

"100,000 credits that he wins without a single injury."

"Confident, aren't you?"

**"As I should be."**

* * *

**"Ladies, gentlemen, and all the rest of us freaks!"** Towa yelled through the stadium's speakers, the alien's voice echoing out among the cheers of the audience around them.

The usual mantra was announced, as the one-hundred and forty-seventh Tatooine Grand Tournament commenced with a special announcement, much to a certain group of Jedi.

"Master, are you sure about this?" Obi-Wan Kenobi asked in concern, the two sitting in the Champion's Reprieve on the corner of the stadium, the Master consoling his Padawan as the two listened to the pre tournament announcements.

Something about the Tatooine Prince?

"Obi-Wan, I have never been more sure of something in my entire life." Qui-Gon said with a confident smile, a hand coming to rest on the young man's shoulders. "This is all just another trial."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath then and nodded, his worries disappearing into the force like ashes to the wind, a tranquil feeling overcoming him as the balance he normally held returned.

"Of course Master, I didn't think like that. The disturbance you felt, this is likely a prelude to it, isn't it?" Obi-Wan asked him, the two of them putting their bright minds to use.

Qui-Gon had grown quite attached to the young man he had raised, the one person that he could ever call son, and he only hoped he was right… and that two Jedi would still leave this planet as they left it.

"Now then, please welcome our newest Champion, Skywalker's very own hero, Golden Son!"

The cheers and roars rose and rose as almost the entire planet seemed to be devoured with noise and excitement.

Qui-Gon just looked fondly at his Padawan then, and nodded.

**"I believe you're up."**

* * *

**"Wait… that's him?"** Towa asked me in disbelief as the two of us sat high above the battle, the young Kenobi boy walking out with a glowing vibroblade in hand, scarlet and gold robes wrapped around his body, pieces of armor placed even across the robes and creating the appearance of a grand and noble warrior, despite the fresh face of the boy.

His fierce eyes and quick surge to combat did not derail from his newfound glory.

"He's a walking stick with a stick! Yeah, he's got some tricks, but you honestly think he'll live through all this?" Towa asked me in shock, my smile just growing as I drank out of my goblet, my eyes drinking in the entertainment of this all.

I loved this place dearly. A place to truly let loose and release my demons to the pleasure of others.

I was akin to their god at this point, The Prince being my title within the arena, the name and banner I had held as I fought my way across the planet, my legend only growing farther through the sands as my name became etched in the dry earth of it all.

"Would you have believed I could have done all I had? Need I remind you, I was a third his size." I reminded my friend with a laugh, his own following in suit.

Oh, my mother had almost died of a heart attack when she heard that I had entered myself into a tournament… and then was completely and utterly shocked when I returned home a champion, Towa sponsoring me himself.

Now, my friend and I stood above the fighting, our places judging those that shed bled, the stands around us joining us in the spectacle of it all.

"You still want to keep that bet?" Towa asked me with a smirk, almost sure that he would win our little bet… but I of course had to double down.

"I'm not stepping back on it… but let's make it even more interesting… I bet he'll beat the Grand Champion himself." I said with a smirk, only for Towa to look on in shock at me, as the grand champion had only been seen twice before, when he first fought, and when I fought him.

"I know he's here, watching all of this go down. He'll be ready, and he'll lose to my champion." I said with confidence, leaving Towa completely amazed.

I knew I hadn't gotten involved in the tournament in years, but I knew I had struck back with a vengeance.

"You… Who is this kid?"

**"A person with potential."**

* * *

**"My master… they are here…"** A shrouded figure spoke in the sands of Tatooine, a hologram emerging from a floating drone. The figure crouched in the valley of the planet, eyes looking onto the distance as some inane tournament was fought far down below, the hologram observing as well.

"You are sure of this? You know the price of losing them…" The transparent man stated, cold fury in his voice, a similar robe hiding his features from view, a darkness shared between them both.

"Their ship is here… Mos Espa can not hide them from me… I have heard the whispers through this planet. Strangers, odder than the usual, arrived… now, one of them has entered this ridiculous tournament… A man in robes, skilled with a blade." The morose man explained, his anger growing fierce and unholy in his chest, a thrum of power blowing through the sands, a storm forming in the lost paths of the planet.

"The Jedi… You will kill him, both of them." The hologram commanded, the figure bowing his head at the order, his eyes beaming out towards the final obstacle left before him…

"I will do as you command, my master."

**"You have no choice, Lord Maul."**


	3. Warrior

**Life 75: Chosen Again**

* * *

**(Tatooine Tournament halls, Tatooine, 32 BBY)**

* * *

**"Aren't you worried about him?"** Padme Amidala, the secret queen of Naboo, asked the older man as the group rested on a balcony inside the arena, Obi-Wan fighting fiercely far below, a man twice his weight trying to bury the young man under his massive axe.

It was oddly like David and Goliath, despite the fact that none of them have ever heard of the two.

An absolute brute versus an agile opponent, the two skilled enough in their crafts to sidestep each other's efforts, the two evenly matched despite their drastic differences.

Qui-Gon simply chuckled, his eyes looking fondly on his padawan, his performance in the tournament being tracked on a board above them.

The score was impressive.

"Worried? Padme, I am not worried in the slightest." Qui-Gon said with a smile, his eyes drifting to Padme with a laugh. "I know how skilled my padawan is, considering I trained him."

Padme blushed then, since she probably should have figured that, but the young man had seemed kind and… Other things.

She didn't want him dying just because they were trapped on the planet and had no other means of escape, aside from contacting the Republic, which would alert the Trade Federation, and take weeks to actually get them a working ship.

"Besides, I properly researched the tournament. It's a non lethal affair, the arena automatically engages to prevent lethal blows and heal any deathly wounds. Obi-Wan is in no real harm, but I wouldn't say the same of his enemies."

Padme just sighed, her worry still present, but went back to watching the two fight, her eyes brighting when Obi-Wan ducked and slid across the sand floor, his vibroblade coming to slash quickly across the man's back.

The giant of a man roared in pain, a slash burned into his flesh as he fell forward, his axe dropping like a rock as the man found himself unable to even move through the debilitating pain.

Obi-Wan merely tucked his blade away, waving in a group of healing droids as he stood aside.

His eyes drifted up then, looking not at his master or companions, instead to the instructor of their fates.

Anakin Skywalker merely smiled at him in return.

That boy just rubbed Padme wrong,** in so many ways.**

* * *

**"Now we know he's good ladies and gentlemen, but who's next to stand against him?!"** The Devaronian screamed out as the arena nearly exploded with excitement as Obi-Wan won yet another battle, throwing the wannabe contender aside within moments, the sands settled not even twenty minutes into the battle.

Doors opened across the arena floor, all going to rooms with waiting champions, only for a single one to have a fighter emerge.

A tall, blue skinned man walked out, a stern look in his eyes as he walked nobly to Obi-Wan, a rifle slung over back.

Obi-Wan stared at the man in return, almost confused at the blank look on his face.

Most fighters thus far had met him in combat, blade to blade or so, but this man had stepped clear out of their shadows.

"Let's hear it for the Chiss Champion, Doman the Decayed!" The arena owner announced to the audience's applause, leaving the two to square against each other.

The Chiss stared at Obi-Wan for many moments, the two walking in circles as they evaluated each other.

Doman was the first to speak.

"You're a Jedi, aren't you boy?" The alien asked in a deep voice, more statement than question, a self assured smirk on his face as he quickly pulled his rifle free.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened as he realized that this opponent wasn't a brute like the others he had fought thus far, readying himself to face what could have been his strongest opponent yet.

"And if I am?" Obi-Wan argued back, his face cold as he struck a fighting pose, his blade wavering in the air.

Only for the Chiss to stop then, a foul look coming to his face, akin to disgust.

He tucked his rifle away then, holding a hand up to the audience to quiet their cheers, his thumb folded.

He had surrendered.

"I have fought many Jedi in my life, you are a miserable one. I can feel your fear quivering, despite how mean of a face you wear." Doman said without sympathy, his eyes as cold as Hoth, not a hint of warmth in his frozen orbs.

"I will not fight you, nor do I desire to. Perhaps when you deserve your title, and fight as such, then I will grace you in battle." The Chiss said with a huff of air, striding out of the arena, confusion all around as Obi-Wan just stood there… wondering what he had done wrong.

**"Winner, Golden Sun?"**

* * *

**"Sorrowful Interruption: Master?"** Called Clara's worried voice in my earbud, drawing my attention away from the tournament, my eyes drifting to my datapad, the image of my faithful droid appearing.

"Clara, what is it?" I asked her, curious as she didn't normally contact me at this time, normally monitoring and working with the recon droids around this point.

The droid merely just typed in a number offscreen, an image appearing before my eyes.

It was a hologram of the tournament hall, glowing dots appearing across the building.

"What am I looking at Clara?"

"Worried Explanation: Those are rival recon droids Master. A rogue agent is running observation in the area Master. You may be monitored at this very moment. Simple Plea: Please be careful Master." Clara said with her usual song of a voice, a roll of my eyes being my response.

"I'm always careful Clara." I said briefly, my smile disguising the caution I felt.

I sensed a presence in the arena that shouldn't have been there.

One of the champions was in danger, **and it wasn't Obi-Wan.**

* * *

**"Isn't he something folks?!"** Towa yelled out to the crowd, Obi-Wan having defeated yet another man years older than him, his strength surprising many on the planet, whether the young man wanted to or not.

I just watched in amusement, as more than one champion stepped up to try and stop Obi-Wan's winning streak, only to find the man's boot on their neck.

He was a skilled fighter, I must admit, even though he wasn't even a true Jedi yet, he was incredible.

Which meant I was getting bored and wanted to get to the end of this charade.

With a grin, I turned to Towa and said a simple phrase, one only used when we considered a champion ready enough.

"Advance his tier."

Towa agreed with a grin, pressing a finger to his chair, lighting up a board on the side of the arena, the name Golden Son highlighted in flashing lights, a glowing B appearing next to it.

Obi-Wan had been advanced to the B Tier of the tournament…

Which meant we could throw even stronger champions against him.

**Oh, I love this place.**

* * *

**Fight after fight,** battle after battle, the suns were beginning to fall when Obi-Wan would admit that he couldn't take it anymore.

He had fought for hours now, working himself to exhaustion as he rose up the leader-board of the tournament, only getting short breaks when other champions would take the floor, water and advice being plied on him.

He couldn't even rest or see his Master, almost immediately being thrown back into the arena after his opponents would demolish each other.

Not helping his confidence at all.

He had started this tournament in the morning, as a nobody nothing, and now had reached the final tiers of it, the moons shining in the night sky as he was forced back into the arena… against the first of the tournament's greatest.

The Final Three.

The crowd began to cheer in thunderous roars, as a large door on the far wall, previously unopened, slid open.

Obi-Wan readied his tired body once more, pulling the battered vibroblade back into his hand as he stood at attention.

With the opening of the door, a tall man strode forward, cobalt heavy armor covering his entire body.

A visor hid his eyes from view, his armor as iconic as it was infamous.

A Mandalorian, but not like that of the common Mandalorian mercenary.

This was a warrior, his armor covered with war trophies from previous fallen enemies, the metal scuffed and scarred from battle and torment.

Versus a young padawan in armor that wasn't his, with an almost broken weapon…

Still, he stood at attention.

"And here we are, the end so close to see! The first of the Final Three, the most vicious, one could say!" Towa announced to the utter joy of the audience, Obi-Wan just rolling his eyes at the theatrics.

To the surprise of many, Anakin stood then to finish the prefight announcements.

"We welcome Golden Sun to try his best against the best of our champions. You all know him, many of you love him!" Anakin called out to the arena, the cheers rising and rising like nothing Obi-Wan had ever heard before.

This place was filled with what must have been cultists by their sheer devotion.

He had never seen many sports or their atmosphere, and never imagined one such as this.

"The warrior!" At this, the man walked closer to him, the two squaring off.

"The Mandalore!"

The Mandalorian pulled his blasters then, giving Obi-Wan a meaningful look, one he could only wonder about.

"You know, I had hoped it would be your master fighting, but I guess you'll do." The Mandalorian said briskly, whipping his cape behind him as he struck a pose.

"By the way kid, I personally believe you should always know the name of the person kicking your ass. My name is-" The smug man began, only to be interrupted at the last second by the screaming crowd.

**"JANGO FETT!"**

* * *

**A cloaked man fought fiercely,** a red glowing blade in hand as he traded blows with a man clothed in black and scarlet.

The aggressor was the Zabrak that had been stalking the Jedi on the planet, using as much resources as possible to find the two, and coming so very close to killing them… only to run into the stranger before him.

Blacks robes, much like Maul's, wrapped tightly around the man's body, a red cloak covering his head from view, glowing black eyes shining through the hood of it.

While Maul swung his red lightsaber at his mysterious enemy with a fury known to few, the stranger merely sidestepped each and every blow, a glowing dagger in hand.

Maul would swipe at him, the stranger would step right out of his reach, then slice at him with the dagger.

While Maul fought with the force of blunt rage, this man fought with the means of patience.

Death of a thousand cuts indeed.

The tournament went on just beyond their battle, an hour going by before they even got anyway in their battle, Maul slowly losing to the seemingly super powered enemy before him.

When Maul failed again and again to actually strike his enemy, he backed up and observed his enemy, remembering words that his master had once said to him.

"_If you fail utterly and completely, try a different route."_

So, he stepped back and watched the stranger, dagger in hand, and spoke.

"Who… are you?" Maul asked raspily, his voice dry and sharp as he developed a new hatred for the man before him, despite not knowing a single thing about him.

The man finally showed emotion then, a smile coming to his face, his dagger being flipped and slid into a holster within seconds.

**"Wouldn't you like to know?"**

* * *

**"I'll give you this kid, you're good…"** Jango Fett said with a few groans as he stumbled slightly, Obi-Wan's fast offensive throwing him off guard, seeing that Obi-Wan kept charging at Jango, not giving him a single chance to get a shot in.

This back and forth of Obi-Wan striking and Jango running and getting off pot shots continued in a grueling manner for almost an hour, the two almost dancing around each other as the two kept striking back and forth at each other.

Obi-Wan wasn't unscathed in their battle, having been whipped across the head at one point by Jango's blasters, but had kept on striking, having learned that the Mandalorian was a distance fighter, only to learn that Jango was just as, or more than capable of fighting hand to hand.

In the middle of their fight, Obi-Wan had surged quickly and struck Jango's hands, throwing one of the blasters off into the air, the gun flying off into the audience.

Down to a single Blaster, Jango had began striking and attacking Obi-Wan with stunning and powerful kicks and strikes, their battle elevating as they both refused to lose.

Only for Obi-Wan to slice straight through one of Jango's kicks, cutting right into the man's leg, the blade emerging clean out the other side.

Pulling the blade free, Obi-Wan let the Mandalorian collapse to the ground, his breathing heavy as the two just rested.

"You're… very good kid. Your master's been a good teacher." Jango said with a groan, trying to push himself into a walk, only to stumble.

Obi-Wan offered a hand, only for him to wave it off.

"I'm fine kid, I've taken worse licks than this." Jango forced himself to his feet, pulling his helmet off to reveal a tanned man below it, his black hair as unruly as his beard.

"You did great kid, say hello to Qui-Gon for me." Jango Fett, the Mandalore himself, said with an actual smile for once, giving the padawan a strong handshake before walking out of the arena, helmet in hand.

**Both Obi-Wan and Jango alike would remember this day…**

* * *

**"Unfortunately, strangers and freaks, The Second is missing in action."** Towa said with genuine sadness as the audience almost wanted to cry, as the mysterious former Grand Champion was missing from his room, the dagger wielding warrior just gone.

Obi-Wan shrugged it off, glad to be spared another opponent, his body almost ready to give in.

He was finishing this damn tournament, and then kicking the crap out of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi be damned.

"Yes yes, I know, we're all disappointed in not getting to see him stab Golden here a bit, but it's a sad fact. However, now, we get to the most exciting match of the night! Golden Son, the robed warrior, against the reigning Grand Champion of the arena, three years running!" Towa said with a roaring scream, the audience howling with him as a sensation ran over Obi-Wan.

"You all know him, you love him, you've bet against him!" The Devaronian screamed as Obi-Wan let out a sigh, the light of his Vibroblade flickering out ominously as it finally gave out from twenty fights in such a long night.

"The Prince himself!"

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Obi-Wan said with a groan, as the large door once again slid open, and a figure walked out that he didn't expect.

In silver and black robes, walked Anakin Skywalker, the boy responsible for him fighting in this damn tournament, two vibroblades in hand, the blades so much nicer than Obi-Wan's own, and not in anyway broken…

**Obi-Wan was really starting to hate this kid…**

* * *

**"You've done better than I expected, really."** I said with genuine conviction as I slashed my blades against Obi-Wan's broken vibroblade, the fight not exactly fair between the two of us, but I didn't have to show any of my real talent in the fight because of this.

I wasn't going to pretend to be some small fry, my ego wouldn't allow for that, so I fought the man with all I had, throwing him back every time he charged at me.

He had tried becoming defensive, letting me come to him, only for me to stand still and do nothing until he came to me.

He only noticed then, and no sooner, that the Arena had Force Suppressors, or at least a super charged Magic Suppression Ward.

It worked well enough, keeping him from using the Force all together, though it was unneeded.

He was noble, that much was sure, that he hadn't tried using the Force once the entire tournament.

"I know, my body is well aware of the cost I've paid thus far." Obi-Wan said sarcastically, the exhaustion flowing off his body in waves as I saw the discrete shaking his body was doing, the pain becoming near uncontrollable for him now.

"A cost you've handled well. I expect a lesser man would have been beaten into submission hours ago, let alone fight an entire day and keep winning fight after fight." I said to him truthfully, my respect for him rising to new heights, as I hadn't seen a man as capable as he in years, his determination something to be admired.

He wasn't even thirty either, he would only improve.

"I don't know whether I should be proud of myself, or angry with you." Obi-Wan said with a frustrated smile, his hand unconsciously rising to his chest.

That kick to the ribs from Jango must have been more damaging than I had thought.

I liked Obi-Wan Kenobi more and more each time I saw him.

So I lunged at him, my blades batting his across the arena, my right blade aimed straight at his neck for a final blow…

Only to have the air knocked straight out of me, as he kicked me out of the air.

I dropped like a rock, my lungs in burning agony as I was enraged that I went down so easily, an hour battle notwithstanding.

Obi-Wan laughed then, collapsing to the ground with me as he laughed, the sound almost cathartic.

Against my better judgement, I began to laugh too.

This was hilarious, the sheer impossibility of it all, and the fact that this tournament had turned out this way.

I, the seasoned fighter and Grand Champion, taken down with an easy blow, while a straight up newbie wins the title.

However, this newbie was Obi-Wan Kenobi.

I had expected this.

Of course, my 100,000 credit bet was off, since he was clearly injured, but my 80,000 credit bet wasn't…

I had made at least a million in a single night…

**This was a good night.**

* * *

**"I'm assuming that you're happy enough."** Qui-Gon Jinn said with a smirk, watching as I had person after person line up to wire me my newly won credits.

And to think, no one had considered that I would rig this entire tournament.

I simply returned the man's smile, two millions credits making a fine addition to my company's coffers, and definitely enough for that new expansion I was planning…

"More than." I said to the man, as I turned to face the group.

We stood inside of the Mos Espa Spaceport now, the Nubian Cruiser of theirs standing before us.

"The Cruiser's fixed and ready for space travel, better than anything Naboo could ever make now. That thing could survive a Black Hole with the additions I've given it." I said with a smile as Obi-Wan rubbed at his hand, the burn I've given him wrapped in a bandage.

So what if my Vibroblades burn hot enough that Medical Droids can't heal them easily?

He wasn't given Third Degree burns, nor did he lose any limbs, so I think he got out of this whole thing pretty well.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Grand Champion of Tatooine didn't sound to bad, but the man hated the title.

Funny, since I did too.

"I would thank you, but I have another thing to ask of you Anakin." Qui-Gon said to me with a smile, as I just quirked an eyebrow at the man.

Yeah, I had Obi-Wan fight for everything I gave them, but completely retrofitting their ship and ensuring that it could almost never be destroyed, through technological and magical means surely was enough?

"When I walked into your shop for the first time, I felt a presence in the Force, one stronger than I had ever felt before. I know, we have asked much of you, and paid for it well, but I beg that you come with us Anakin." Qui-Gon asked of me, giving me a warm smile as he sank to my level, confusing me more than he probably thought he was.

Why would they want me along?

"Why, exactly?"

"Well, to train you in the ways of the Force. I would like you to join us, to become a Jedi." Qui-Gon explained to me, almost as if surprised I wasn't getting it.

That wasn't the point that confused me.

**"Why would I want that?"**

* * *

**We piled into the Cruiser,** ready to depart, my droids rushing back and forth to make last minute preparations, three of them joining us on the ship.

Clara would remain behind to main the store, considering she was my Second-in-command, along with protecting my mother alongside DO-BY, who had been created to protect her at any cost.

So, here I was, getting ready to blast off with a couple of Jedi, a secret Queen, her guard, and…

"Meesa so happy happs that yousa comin with us!" The Gungan yelled with excitement, making the mortal mistake of hugging me, his voice grating and loud as could be.

I just ground my teeth as I forced the alien off of me, my eyes beginning to glow with my coming rage.

This thing had annoyed me since the moment it walked into my store, throwing things around and breaking days of hard work.

"Does anyone even like this atrocity?" I asked of Qui-Gon as he walked by, boxes of provisions in his arms as he and Obi-Wan worked on stocking the Nubian for the trip to… wherever.

"Not at all, do as you like." The grizzled man said in a rush, barely giving my words any thought as he hurried back into the ship.

Nodding at the that, I pressed a button on my earbud swiftly.

"Clara, mobilize the 104th. I want this Gungan dead before I launch." I said to her, not an emotion in my tone as I watched the beast jump for joy.

"Lustful exclamation: With pleasure Master."

Within seconds, four of my most recent Droids appeared. AD-104, the 104th model of Assault Droids that I had created. Perfect in almost every way, and ready for their debut mission.

"Reporting for duty, SIR!" They called as one, their voices similar to soldiers I had seen in a film once, militant and strong. They stood at attention, ready to follow my orders to the last syllable, without question.

"Execute the Gungan." I said with a grin, watching as the Gungan froze then, maybe my words were finally getting to the mass of flesh that it called a brain.

**"Sir yes Sir!"**


	4. Decision

**Life 75: Chosen Again**

* * *

**(Nubian Royal Starship, The Corusca sector, 32 BBY)**

* * *

**"What are you working on?"** Obi-Wan asked me as he stepped into the work room I had taken as my room for the voyage. I was working at the battered bench of the room, the head of one of my assault droids in my lap, an Exacto Laser in my hand as I burned away the flawed program grid.

I didn't look to the man, merely working away as I was.

"Fixing this piece of crap."

I sensed Obi-Wan taking a seat beside me, his ponytail flopping forward as he leant over to look at the disembodied head of my robotic failure.

"What exactly has it done to deserve such… scorn?" He asked me, a confused look on his face as I remembered that he had been inside the ship at the time.

"Oh, not just this one. All four of them." I said in response, flicking a hand at the corner of the room, where the droid's fellows sat in a limp pile of circuits.

"Alright... And the reason that you've disassembled them?"

"I ordered them to execute the Gungan, at point blank range…" I said with a coldness to my voice, one only achieved through working on droids with flawed programming. A burning rage in my voice at the fact that it was my own programming at fault.

"You mean Jar Jar Binks?" Obi-Wan asked me, looking over his shoulder briefly, almost as if he feared that uttering the beast's name would cause him to appear.

"Yes, the Gungan. I refused to be trapped on a vessel with him, so with Master Qui-Gon's permission, I ordered his execution… My droids shot each other… They were within reach of the Gungan, who didn't even dodge, and yet they destroyed each other…" I explained to the man, my anger and disappointment growing with each second as I still had no idea how they had failed me as they did…

_"How hard is it to kill one Gungan?"_

"I have noticed that he has an odd amount of… luck, for a creature so ignorant." Obi-Wan agreed, taking the bit of droid innards I handed him, throwing the scrap into the corner with something akin to disgust.

The man wasn't bad as an assistant, though he and I both knew the Jedi were his destiny.

Still not sure of mine, but I wasn't meditating all day like an emotionless monk.

"On that, we agree," I said with a nod to the man, before setting the droid's head down on the bench, instantly discarding it as pointless. I would need to start from scratch.

The programming was obviously useless.

"How much longer until we reach Coruscant?"

"Captain Panaka says that it'll be another day at this rate." Obi-Wan said, almost as much disappointment in his tone as there was in mine.

Less than a day, and the both of us didn't want to spend another second on this ship.

I hated everyone on this ship aside from the Jedi… Especially the Gungan and the Queen.

The girl seemed to hate me for some reason, and it probably had to do with the fact that I signed a business contract behind her back, making sure that I arrived on a day where a body double was in charge, rather than the actual Queen.

I was surprised that no one had figured out that the queen of Naboo had body doubles, considering each had a different jaw line, but whatever…

Obi-Wan's silence, however, made me think for a second.

"Are you not surprised that I tried to kill the Gungan?" I asked him, cocking an eyebrow at him in my shock. He just laughed at me, his eyes turning serious in an instant.

**"Were it not for the Jedi, I would kill Jar Jar myself."**

* * *

**(Several hours earlier)**

* * *

**"Why would I want that?"**

That question seemed to be one that Qui-Gon Jinn had never expected, as he almost froze just from hearing it.

"To… to learn the ways of the Force, and to learn to protect the Galaxy. As well, I do believe that you could be one of the most powerful Jedi to ever live. The Jedi Order would be the best place for you to learn to harass your abilities." Qui-Gon said to me, a convincing, motivational tone to his voice as he smiled at me almost paternally.

I just scoffed.

"What has the Galaxy done for me?" I asked him, trying to gauge his reaction. He merely laughed.

"Perhaps nothing, but you haven't really given it a chance, have you? You've stayed on this single planet for how long now? Surrounded by criminals?" He asked of me, a knowing look in his eyes, and I kind of had to agree with him there. While I had taken a few business trips to other planets, I was an introvert.

"I'll hand it to you there, but I still don't want to be a Jedi, at least, not the type of Jedi that just sits emotionlessly on a cushion forever." I said to him with a finality in my voice, my eyes stern in the fact that I wouldn't give in. I had lived many lives at this point, one's of strife and sadness, but I knew that throughout it all, my emotions were all that I had left.

I wouldn't let anyone take them from me, especially not a bunch of fools in robes that preached higher values.

Qui-Gon paused then, taking a step back as he observed me in silence. I returned his gaze, challenging him to respond.

"What kind of Jedi did you have in mind?" He asked me, no objection in his eyes, just an unspoken agreement. Apparently the few documented reports I had read of Jedi Council meetings were truthful enough.

I merely smiled.

"I'm not doing the whole 'No Attachments' thing. It's not happening. I run an entire company, one that the galaxy depends heavily on. I'm keeping it, and I'm not quitting just because a bunch of prunes think that people have to be cold and empty inside just be good at saving lives." I said to him briskly, not an ounce of give in my voice as I stared down the man who was likely the bravest Jedi to ever exist.

He just had a small smile on his face as he nodded.

"As well, I'm having possessions. I know you guys only keep clothes and lightsabers, but I'm keeping my stuff. Also, the droids are coming with me."

Qui-Gon just locked eyes with me then.

"I understand your concerns, and while I halfheartedly accept your terms, I don't think the Jedi Council will agree…"

"I think they'll agree, considering you need me." I said with a chuckle, as his eyes averted just as I knew they would.

This man was trying much too hard to get me to join them, considering that I was apparently just another Force Sensitive child, and from reading Republic records, they had plenty of younglings…

So why was he trying so very hard, if I wasn't important?

"I wouldn't say need, but you are correct, things would be much better if you were to join the Jedi Order Anakin." Qui-Gon said to me calmly, a small smile on his face as he looked at me with something akin to amusement and surprise.

I would love to see how the Jedi Council reacts when I share some of the information the Republic has on them.

**"So… do we have an agreement, Master Qui-Gon?"**

* * *

**(The next day)**

* * *

**"Hello Master."** The newly programmed droid said as I turned on its power circuit, the lights of its eye shining on as it became aware.

I merely resumed my work on its torso as the head of the droid addressed me.

"Hello 105. I do hope you succeed where your predecessors failed me…" I said sternly to the droid, whose synthetic eyes just widened as it began to access the limited database I had installed in it.

"What must I do Master?" It asked of me, a grin growing on my face, my eyes aflame.

A grin of hatred and fury, and promises of vengeance.

**"You will kill the Gungan."**

* * *

**(Coruscant, The Corusca sector, 32 BBY)**

* * *

**"Finally…"** I huffed out as we landed on the docking bay of the Spaceport, the cruiser coming in for a landing as we finally reached the city, after an entire day in travel…

With the Gungan preaching some nonsense about religion, saying he was 'blessed by the gods' for his continued survival, I have went through Assault Droids numbered one-hundred and five, through twelve… in a day.

None of them could even touch the Gungan, more and more ridiculous antics occurring to save the blasted creature's life…

I at this point assumed that he was a God in disguise, so have minded my paces, letting the issue of Jar Jar Binks drop for now.

We had finally reached Coruscant, the city planet, and the heart of the Galaxy.

An entire, gigantic city, almost thirteen trillion lives all wandering its depths.

All waiting for me…

How delightful.

I exited the ship with the others, only to be struck aback by a feeling I hadn't felt in hundreds of years…

Pure, untamed evil…

The last time I had felt this raw magical source of emotion, it had come from me at my worst… But now, this source of wicked power came from the being right in front of us.

An elderly man walked towards us, his hair flaring sideways in a almost grandfatherly way, a kind smile on his face in a show of warmth.

But I had hundreds of years of Magical experience, combined with knowledge of reading and understanding the human form, and I saw through this man in an instant.

The Magical side of him was a dead giveaway though.

He walked calmly, but I saw a dark aura surrounding the man like smoke, the very air around him sizzling and burning, twisted flames emerging from his skin in a horrific manner. His skin then turned pale, the tissue melting and becoming an awful caricature of the man that had first caught my attention.

Then, just as he reached us, the aura vanished, and he was once more the kindly grandfather.

Unnoticed before then, I saw the man beside him, a man of a similar age dressed in elegant blue robes, little wisps of hair on the back of his head as he smiled at us, a small, but true smile.

A stark contrast to his companion's one of concealed malice.

I knew which one I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.

I knew these men of course, considering I held a copy of the Republic's entire database within my store.

Senator Sheev Palpatine, and Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum.

One, a man of little background who was considered kind and generous.

The other, a man of explored background, who was considered corrupt and unworthy to rule.

How funny, that everyone had it reversed.

And… if Palpatine's private messages were anything to go by, Valorum wouldn't be ruling for much longer…

I had to time my plays perfectly on this world.

I watched as the two stepped before us, their armed guards proceeding to surround us, yet not menacingly.

The Jedi bowed before the men, and to humor them, I did as expected, watching Padme, now dressed as she should have been, step forward to greet the men.  
"It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty. May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum." Palpatine said politely, taking charge of this awkward exchange, as I felt the dark energies flowing off the man and resisted the overwhelming urge to expose him.

For the sake of my future plans, I held my tongue.

The Supreme Chancellor spoke then, his voice taut and firm, but it wasn't rude or cruel.  
"Welcome, Your Highness. It is an honor to finally meet you in person. I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation. I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position." Valorum said swiftly, his words alleviating the concerns of Padme, going by the relaxing of her shoulders, but she remained stoic as was her royal persona.  
"I am grateful for your concern, Chancellor." Padme said briefly, before heading off to who knows where with Palpatine and her handmaidens, as I stayed behind with the Jedi, wanting to speak to Qui-Gon about the arrangements we had.  
The man stepped closer to the Chancellor, seeming to want to speak without my hearing, but my senses were much greater than they should naturally be for a nine year old.

"I must speak with the Jedi Council immediately, Your Honor. The situation has become more complicated."

Valorum nodded then, throwing a glance in my direction, before returning his gaze.

"Be on your way then Master Jedi, I will hold you no longer." The man said politely, as he gestured us towards the rear of the bay, Qui-Gon leading Obi-Wan and I from the ship, and towards the waiting line of Air Taxis, and Coruscant itself.

**"Come, the Council awaits."**

* * *

**I stood before a group of beings,** ones that many considered the strongest and most prolific of people in the Galaxy, and felt only disappointment.

I saw the wisdom in their faces, the swift nerves in their body, and their obvious combat readiness.

But I also saw the laziness in their forms, the relaxed way they moved.

Except for the tall man that almost instantly judged me from the moment I walked through the doors, his sharp brown eyes burning their way into mine as a heavy presence weighed on my mind then.

I was shocked, since I hadn't felt another mental presence in my mind in ages, and rejected the urge to be enraged, simply because I had missed the feeling of having my mind embrace another's.

He almost seemed to sense my calm, as he sat back and met the eyes of his fellow Council members.

"You are Anakin Skywalker, correct?" The man asked me, as I nodded. At that very moment, I heard a beep from my earpiece, Clara providing context.

"Explanation: Jedi Master Mace Windu: One of the Jedi's finest."

Windu nodded then, before turning to the green alien that sat directly across from me, its eyes still closed in thought, as the two seemingly conversed without words.

_"Add 'Telepathy' to Force Abilities…"_ I thought to myself, calming my agitation as I felt an almost abnormal sense of anger coming onto myself, for no reason.

I destroyed the feeling completely, regaining my calm as they turned to me once more.

"Desire to be a Jedi, Qui-Gon said you do?" The alien asked me in an odd way, though I had no idea who this Jedi was, nor did Clara have any idea, since the Republic records held nothing of this alien.

"More like I was convinced to. I have nothing better to do really, so I figure I'll be a Jedi to pass the time." I saw with absolute serenity, as I felt no desire to lie to these Jedi, which was odd in itself.

Having destroyed the sense of anxious fury within myself, I felt only a calm thrum of power flood my veins, a calm coming over me that I had never felt before.

True tranquility.

I held no regrets about coming here, since I had never felt so good in all of my existence.

"You think the Jedi is just something to do? A hobby?" The stern man, Mace Windu, asked me in almost disbelief, as he couldn't seem to understand what position I was coming from.

I ran a company that had taken over most of the Galaxy's economy, and had become an essential part of the lives of everyone in the Galaxy, irreplaceable.

And insanely profitable.

I could retire now, at the age of nine, and never have to do any work, ever.

Yet, that would be boring.

I hate boredom.

So a position that gives knowledge and friendships, along with providing constant stimulation and assignments?

Since the Republic had no military, I might as well join the Jedi.

"No, I understand it's an order comprised of constant focus and a lifetime of dedication. And I accept following your code, but I don't care about the emotion behind it. I'm treating this like a job, you are my bosses, and I'll be the employee. I'll do everything that you all ask, and without complaint, and you simply give me my personal freedoms." I asked of them strongly, which had to be a surprise considering I was but a mere nine year old, who was offering them a business proposal…

This is why I have droids work as my liaisons…

The Jedi seemed stunned, except for Windu, who seemed to be enjoying this, aside from the angry glance he gave me after he laughed.

"And you think we'd accept this? Let you be a Jedi when you just said you don't care about our cause?" He asked of me, fierce disbelief in his voice as he looked ready to kill me on the spot for wasting his time. I also got a sense that he thought I was joking.

"Yeah, pretty much." I said with a sheepish grin, as I continued my sales pitch. "I'll be an obedient Jedi, just let me have attachments. They'll never interfere with my duties, and I'm not going to turn evil or something just because I find a lover or something. The Jedi will always be my first priority."

Windu still seemed shocked that they were still listening to me, but I did see several of the Jedi nodding as they seemingly thought my proposal over.

I considered this round a victory because of that.

"Sithspit… I'll ask again, why would we accept your deal?"

This Windu guy, definitely doesn't like me.

I just shrugged off his contempt.

"Why wouldn't you?" I said with a critical eye, as Windu started to throw a fit, only for the green alien's hand to raise and silence his protests.

"Master Yoda-"

"Discuss this, we will. Find Qui-Gon, will you young Skywalker?" The alien, Master Yoda, asked of me, as I nodded in leaving.

I knew that there was soon to be an argument between the Council, and quickly left that mess behind.

**I wonder where Qui-Gon is?**

* * *

**I had found the Jedi Master in question,** only for him to be whisked off to speak with the Council, and I to be left alone to wait for them to finish discussing myself and whether they'd accept me.

Because what else would the speak about?

So, to pass the time, I found myself a nice closet, and pulled my datapad from my robes.

I quickly entered my communications code, and saw the welcome sight of Clara appear on my screen.

"Attentive Question: How did the meeting go Master?" She asked me as I leaned against the cooling pod in the closet, the datapad lighting up the darkness.

"It went fine Clara, but I have a mission for Norville." I said sternly, watching as the image changed from that of Clara, to that of a thin droid with glowing green eyes, silver and red colors marking his frame as unique.

Norville was my second best droid after Clara, at least the ones I actually created, and was the first, and best, Defense Ranger I had created.

Capable of full cloaking functions, and the ability to transfer audio from his unit straight to my datapad.

He was useful, very much so.

"How can I help you Sir?" Norville asked me, his voice sharp and low, as he saluted through the screen.

I had asked him not to, but his programming wouldn't allow for that… Last time I bought a second hand AI chip.

"Yes, you are still on the Corusca recon ship, aren't you Norville?" I asked of the droid, who I had sent out on a survey of the system months ago, and had continued the job dutifully.

"Yes sir. The system has remained dormant of recent news, though the communications of one, Sheev Palpatine, require notice. He appears to be behind the invasion of the planet Naboo. I advise intervention Sir." The droid said swiftly, images appearing on the side of the screen, Naboo appearing alongside a profile shot of Palpatine.

I waved the droid off since I had already began to plot against the man.

"I've met him. I have a mission for you however, I have a man you must meet on my behalf."

The droid looked confused then, since I often sent Clara for such duties, but she was simply too far away.

This had to be done quickly.

"Target, sir?"

**"Supreme Chancellor Valorum."**

* * *

**"What is your decision Masters?"** Qui-Gon Jinn asked the council as he stood before them, the council glancing between each other for several moments before turning as one to face him.

"Conflicted, the Council is." Jedi Master Yoda said slowly, the council obviously differing in their opinions, as many stared at the others in dispute.

"Half of us misguidedly think that Skywalker will make a fine Jedi, despite his utter disrespect of our ways and customs… While the rest of us deny your request." Mace Windu said harshly, as he stared hotly at his fellow council members, before turning back to Qui-Gon.

"I believe with all that I am that Anakin needs to be taught, for I shudder to think about what will happen if he isn't…" Qui-Gon pleaded with them, as he tried not to think of what the Galaxy could endure if such a connected and Force powered individual like Anakin were left to his own devices.

Windu looked firmly at him then, enlightenment in his eyes then as he saw through Qui-Gon' words.

"You think he's the Chosen One… don't you? You think this boy will bring balance to the Force?" Windu asked him, though it was obvious that Qui-Gon did, as the light in his eyes was dim.

The tone of the room shifted quickly, as all of them considered whether or not Anakin Skywalker could be the prophesied chosen one.

"I believe he is. I truly think he could balance the Force… or destroy it entirely… I have seen the boy he is, and I fear the man he could be if we reject him." Qui-Gon explained to them, true emotion clear in his voice as he did all but beg them.  
"Hmm… Wrong, you are not. Much ahead for Skywalker, there is." Yoda said in a burst, the tense silence being broken in an instant.

Qui-Gon took the consideration in stride.

Ki-Adi-Mundi, a Jedi with a large cranium spoke his piece then, interrupting the otherwise conflicting flow of the voice.

"The Force is strong with him, we've all felt it."

"But is that enough to ignore the fact that he would be a danger to the Order?" Windu asked them, his voice almost begging them to see the reason in this situation, but Qui-Gon made a better point than he had hoped.  
"He's to be trained, then?" Qui-Gon asked Yoda, knowing that the decision lie with him, and any hopes of Anakin avoiding a fate that Qui-Gon knew lay in darkness.  
The council members looked to Yoda then, his eyes closed in thought, before they suddenly opened, his pupils glowing lightly with a blue haze.  
"Clouded, Skywalker's future is. Masked by his youth, yet clear from his mind. Much potential, there is in him. Much darkness, in his past lies. His future, changing always," Yoda explained, his eyes dimming as he rested back in his seat, silence filling the void.

"A chance, he shall have."

Windu of course was opposed, but a smile made its way onto Qui-Gon's face, as he knew he had surely saved the galaxy from a fate darker than he could imagine.

**And how right he was…**


	5. Valorum

**Life 75: Chosen Again**

* * *

**(Galactic Senate, Coruscant, 32 BBY)**

* * *

**In a tall,** widened room of impossible depths, were pods filled with senators and speakers of all kinds, waiting to speak their minds.

At it's core, stood a man tall and somber, a look of disgust on his face as he looked across from several of the sections of senators.

He trusted none of them, except for one, who he assumed had been turned against him as well.

The Supreme Chancellor, for the moment at the very least, Finis Valorum, stood tall against the overwhelming indignation he felt from the beings around him, despite none of the ongoing conflict being due to his actions.

Instead, he stood as the scapegoat for the true mastermind's actions, even if Finis had been skeptical to the warning, he knew that someone had to of orchestrated the invasion of Naboo, and from what he had learned, the man that had pretended to be his friend…

The Senators batted back and forth against each other, spewing blame and abuse, and all sorts of political hysteria as Senators blamed the Trade Federation for the invasion.

Rightfully so, he thought, since they were.

The Senator from the Federation, Lott Dod, one of the most infuriating Neimoidians Finis had ever met, attempted to claim that the Queen of Naboo had to be mistaken, and that their invasion was perfectly legal…

It was an invasion.

Universally, invasions were never legal.

One nation may have legalized invasions and conquests, but there would always be another to outlaw them.

The same with all things.

Politics, sometimes he really hated his position.

Moreover, he hated the Trade Federation… however, the previous administration had given most of the senate over to them… so he was stuck with a bunch of bastards with near-political immunity with the desire to make his job Hell…

And the one ally he could have used on the Senate, was being turned against him.

Until he had a late night visit… One he hadn't expected…

**But one he gladly accepted.**

* * *

**(The night before)**

* * *

**"Supreme Chancellor Valorum, please wake up."** A robotic, yet oddly human voice spoke out in the dark of the Chancellor's Apartment, causing the man to jump awake in fright.

Moving to the far side of his bed, he turned and laid eyes on a mysterious, silver and scarlet droid that had somehow gotten into his apartment… past his security.

"How… how can I help you?" Finis asked slowly and carefully, fully aware he was at the mercy of this droid, considering that he had no way of alerting his security… who should have been able to stop this droid…

"I am Defense Ranger 91, designation 'Norville', of Sky Droids Industries. I have been assigned the task of ensuring your survival and continued tier as Supreme Chancellor for the next 168 hours." The droid sadly in a passionate voice, its eyes glowing a bright green in the dark tones of the room.

Finis scoffed here, for he was glad this wasn't an assassination, but he didn't believe himself to be in much danger at all.

How wrong he was.

"I detect your disbelief. I have intercepted the correspondence between your ally, Senator Sheev Palpatine, and that of several criminal persons. He intends to pass a Vote of No Confidence against you, overtake your position, and do countless things that would likely unstable the Republic. My Master and I intend to prevent such events from ever taking place." The droid, Norville, said with a quick salute, causing Finis to take a moment to process all of that.

Sheev, the man he had known since childhood, his best friend and most trusted ally… meant to destroy all he had worked for…?

He couldn't believe it, wouldn't believe it.

"How do I know even a word that you speak is true? That this all isn't some attempt to deceive me?" Finis demanded of the droid, determined to get some manner of truth from it, only to watch in puzzlement as the droid froze.

Then said the following phrase.

"Beginning audio recording: Palpatine 1-842: No Confidence"

A hologram of Sheev's face appeared then, as a profile, as a recording began to play of a voice that Finis knew to be his friend's.

"Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger  
Supreme Chancellor. One who will take control of the bureaucrats, enforces the laws, and give us justice. You could call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum." Said his friend, the one man he had trusted most in this entire Senate, perhaps even the Galaxy… and he was proposing to betray him.  
"He has been our strongest supporter. Is there any other way?" That voice… Amidala? Naboo's Queen was in on this? Of course she was. She was in Palpatine's pocket after all.

"Our only other choice would to be to submit a plea to the  
Courts…"

That bastard. Finis knew well enough that the Courts would delay such a plea for weeks, perhaps even months, despite the hardship that was placed on Naboo… And yet, Finis had no solution to their issue, considering the vice the Trade Federation was placing upon him, let alone the Senate's inaction.  
"There's no time for that." The Queen responded as the recording ended, the Droid reactivating as Finis lost himself in his thoughts, his form still in place as he considered the situation he now was in.

Betrayal and blades on all sides, his own ally forming a cage to trap him inside, no paths leading to freedom and salvation… except for this Droid.

"Your master… he wants to protect me?" Finis asked it, reiterating what the Droid had proposed before, wondering to the extent of the offer.

"Oh yes. My Master sees you as a suitable Chancellor, and sees no reason to not allow you to continue to serve the Senate, and fears the consequences should Palpatine take over your position. The man has a darkness that reaches no bounds." The Droid said cheerfully, its words morbid and disheartening, as Finis had no clue about any of this, only now realizing how suspicious Sheev had been over the years… The Skaro Alliance now made him wonder how Sheev had actually managed to put down the uprising on the planet…

So many things he had never noticed…

But one thing stood out to him…

"You mentioned my survival… you think someone will try to kill me?" Finis asked the droid, now overly concerned, not just for the Republic, but now for his very life.

"Yes actually, considering Palpatine has contracted a bounty hunter to eliminate you in the event that you continue being the Supreme Chancellor after tomorrow. My Master intends for Palpatine's attempts to fail." The droid said stately, saluting him once again in a way that wasn't necessary.

Finis was thankful for help, but he still was curious.

"What do we do then? What do I do?"

"Nothing at all, except to listen and act. My Master will send a representative at the next Senate meeting. Listen to them, for in that same session, Palpatine and Amidala will attempt to have you removed. Our representative will resolve the invasion issue, but you must defend yourself. You will have a folder forwarded to your data pad, use what is inside to defend yourself in the room, and perhaps, deal a blow to our enemies. However, after you are finished, know that your life will truly be in danger." The Droid said quickly enough, as Finis nodded. He figured as much. If Sheev was really as ruthless as this droid, and that recording had proved, then his life was truly in danger.

"That's all I need to do?" Finis asked in desperation, wondering whether that was all.

"Indeed." The Droid said with what sounded like humor, before phasing out of sight in an instant.

Shaking off his chills, Finis laid back down, his thoughts racing faster than light, everything he had known proving to be less than he had ever known.

**He wouldn't be sleeping.**

* * *

**(The Senate Meeting)**

* * *

**Queen Amidala's senator pod raced forward then,** Finis having no choice but to acknowledge her as she floated forward to speak on behalf of her people.

"Honorable representatives of the Republic, distinguished delegates, and Your Honor Supreme Chancellor Valorum, I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by force. Invaded...against all the laws of the Republic by the Droid Armies of the Trade…" The Queen tried to say, her words true and sad, only to be interrupted by that kriffing hutt of a Senator, Lott Dod.  
"I object! There is no proof. This is incredible. We recommend a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth." The Neimoidian objected, his demeanor angry and triggered, despite the fact that he clearly knew they were breaking Republic laws, perhaps every single one of them.

Following this objection, many of the Senators began to scream and shout all sorts of verbal abuse, causing Finis a headache that he would be having for a good while now.

The Trade Federation friendly senators argued that this all should be delayed even further, to 'prove' whether Amidala was telling the truth, despite her long record of truthful conduct.

However, he had been gifted with a special folder of information on his personal data pad.

Ignoring the protests and pleads, even those of the Queen, Finis merely connect his pad to the holographic display of the Senate room, playing one of the video files he had been given.

The image of a frightened Sio Bibble, the governor of Naboo, appeared via hologram through the air, the man's terrified face clear to see, despite the static.

"They have cut off all food supplies until you return...the death toll is catastrophic...we must bow to their wishes, Your Highness… Please tell us what to do! If you can hear us, Your Highness, you must contact me…" The man pleaded and begged of the queen, the image being cut off suddenly as a blaster bolt was heard.

The Senate and its senators all were silenced by the message.

"That was Sio Bibble, the governor of Naboo. He is one of the many of Naboo's people that are suffering at this very moment under the Trade Federation's presence. I have more evidence of the tyranny that they have inflicted, if you all are still in doubt." Finis said with fire in his voice, his eyes locked on Lott Dod, who clearly didn't expect any proof to be presented, or for anyone to believe the truth about their invasion, judging by his shocked and scared face.

"As well, I have the following transmission-" Finis said in continuation, pressing upon the pad, as the holographic image of Nute Gunray, Viceroy of the Trade Federation appeared, his assistant and a man in black all stood on the bridge of a ship.

"The invasion is on schedule, My Lord." Nute said with a quiver in his voice, obviously afraid of the man before him, even though the other man was a hologram.  
"Good. I have the Senate bogged down in procedures. By the  
time this incident comes up for a vote, they will have no choice but to accept your control of the system." The man said sharply, his voice sickly and disgusting, much like a man diseased. There was much wrong with him, his voice being one of many things.  
"The Queen has great faith the Senate will side with her." Nute said with a twinge of fear, looking to the cloaked man for guidance, which he gladly gave.

Finis snarled here, for he was probably one of the few who had easily figured out who the man was.

He had known Sheev Palpatine for over forty years. He would recognize his voice anywhere.  
"Queen Amidala is young and naive. You will find controlling  
her will not be difficult. You have done well, Viceroy." Palpatine congratulated him, his hand trailing forward to point at the man fondly, or at least what the sickly man considered it.

Finis had spent the morning connecting the awful, evil man in the footage and messages, to the kind man he had known for so long.

It was a shame no one would believe him, no matter how much evidence he now held, so he didn't try.  
"Thank you, My Lord." Nute Gunray said snidely, before the transmission ended.

If the Senate was silent before, it had been frozen now.

Finis noticed that Palpatine looked concerned now, which brought him more satisfaction than he had thought it would.

"And then, there's this little gem here." Finis said with a smile, as he called up a short transmission, but a valuable one.

Two Neimoidians appeared then, Lott Dod, and Nute Gunray.

Finis could only thank the stupidity of people in this galaxy, however concerning it was, for all of the evidence he would need.

"The invasion is almost over, but you must play your part. Stall the Senate, and above all, ensure that it does not send aid to Naboo. We will only succeed if Naboo is left to die." Nute said sadistically, Lott nodding eagerly in response as he pledged to do his part.

Finis stopped the hologram then, seeing Lott Dod and the Federation representatives attempting to leave.

"Guards, arrest the Trade Federation Senator and his conspirators for treason." Finis ordered sternly, watching the floating pod be forced to a stop as the Senate guards advanced on it.

Brushing aside the arrest of the Senate's worst offenders, Finis turned back to the majority of the Senate, who all looked now at him in surprise.

Many had thought him to be a man who made no decisions on his own, only allowing others to dictate his actions.

No longer.

"Now that we've removed the blatant criminals from our midst, we can discuss the illegal occupation of Naboo. This can not be allowed to continue. I petition that the Senate end this tragedy of justice immediately, and put an end to the Trade Federation's crimes. Will you all assist in this, or will you be as criminal as Lott Dod and his ilk?" Finis asked of them all, his eyes tense and angry as the Senate members froze, some from shock and fear, others from happiness and surprise.

One could only sneer in anger, as his careful plans began to collapse around him.

He had to make a call…

Quickly, Senators began to announce their intentions to aid Naboo, and calls came out to send help immediately.

Out of the crowd of voices and pleads, one man's pod, one only ridden by him, floated forward from the crowd.

Finis focused his eyes on the man, and saw a man in black robes, a crimson cloak hanging from his form. Upon reaching them, the man pulled his cloak back to reveal warm skin, short dark hair, and almost black eyes darkening his tanned face.

"Name yourself." Finis called of him, having not seen the man before, but he did recognize the emblem on the pod, one he had not remembered approving for the Senate floor, but apparently the company had managed to make its way here.

He didn't mind, considering its leader had basically saved his life.

A silver, hollowed triangle stood out on the metal, a circle filling its inside, with the shape of a line in its center.

Skydroids.

"My name is Stravus, I am the new Senator for Skydroids Industries. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The perplexing man said with a tilt of his head, his hands resting at his sides, an ornate and odd dagger clear to see at his waist.

Many wondered why he wore it, considering many preferred a blaster for their defense, but nonetheless, the man seemed comfortable with it.

"The Chair recognizes the Senator of Skydroids Industries." Finis said quickly, willing to do whatever Skydroids wanted, considering they were helping him as they were. He enjoyed his job, along with staying alive, of course.

Stravus, or whatever his name was, nodded.

"Now then, Skydroids has decreed, they will aid Naboo in the event of this tragic invasion. Your highness, Queen Amidala, you will have your home back within the week, this we swear." Stravus said with a quick nod aimed at the Queen, his eyes serene despite their unusual coloring and his threatening pose. He was puzzling as he was strange.

"My planet thanks you… Senator Stravus." Queen Amidala said from her post, her tone indicating how obviously confused she was at this turn of events, as she was trying not to think of the boy that had confused her so. He had seemed so dark, and filled with so much hate of her very being, yet he was giving her aid when she, and her people, needed it most?

Stravus merely nodded as his pod slinked away into the dark of the building, him blending away in the mass of the many senator chambers.

Finis looked around then, nodding his head in satisfaction, the Queen calmed and happy, despite her questions.

Knowing he had succeeded, Finis called an end to the Senate meeting, stepping back from the podium, and letting his hand drift comfortably over the blaster he wore.

He had survived the attempt on his job, but now came the attempts on his life.

Just as he stepped to the elevator to his quarters, he was stopped in his tracks by a voice he wasn't familiar with.

"You did better than I expected. I thought we would have to do more, but you are surprisingly efficient when you aren't held back." The youthful, yet cold voice said to him, as he looked to see the figure of a small boy.

Blond, almost brown hair hung loosely from the boy's head, green eyes, much like the droid Norville's, glimmered from the boy's sockets brightly.

He stood there casually, his hands held in his brown robes, as he sized up Finis with his eyes.

Finis did the same to him, confused and wondering.

"And you are?" Finis asked of the boy, though he had a distinct feeling this was one of the many that had saved him.

**"Anakin Skywalker, CEO of Skydroids. We have much to discuss, you and I."**

* * *

**Not far from where Anakin and his ally were meeting,** their enemy met with his own.

"Maul, our enemies have struck. Search yourself for listening devices, we have a breach in security. Trust no one, and keep to the shadows. We must not lose Naboo." Palpatine said briskly, his tone hateful and angry as he cursed Valorum and Skydroids for their interference. What should have been a simple invasion and undertaking, what should have been him stepping onto the road leading to his glorious ascension, had been stripped from him thanks to their meddling.

"Of course my master. I am on my way to Naboo as we speak." The young Zabrak, Darth Maul, answered obediently as he piloted his vessel. He knew what was at stake.

"See that you save this endeavor Lord Maul… I trust you know what will happen if you fail me… again." Palpatine said with a cold sneer, his anger growing and growing with each second. The Force whipped around him like a storm, growing stronger and darker, his influence sinking into the very floor beneath him.

Soon enough, the Jedi would take notice of him, so he stilled himself, his rage dissipating in an instance.

"I know Master." Maul answered quickly, knowing that his brothers lived only because this monster willed them to…

"See that you do." Palpatine said with a cold smirk, his sabers longing to rend Jedi flesh, but he left that task to his dutiful apprentice.

Maul served his purpose for now, but Palpatine's gaze had drifted to others more talented than the Zabrak.

Oh, they would resist him, but the chase would make the catch all the better.

They would be his to control, his to use, and his to destroy.

Along with this damn Galaxy.

He would build an empire, even if he had to build it from ashes… and he would rule it with an iron fist, for eternity…

**Darth Sidious would not be denied.**

* * *

Just a little Author's Note here, I am frankly amazed by the positive reception to this story. I can only thank each and everyone of you all, and hope that you all continue reading. I have the story mapped out pretty much, and I will say, at the moment, it'll be to a little bit past Revenge of the Sith. Timeline wise, that is.

Who knows, maybe I'll do something with A New Hope.

Regardless, thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed.

**-Founder**


	6. Naboo

**Life 75: Chosen Again**

* * *

**Author's Note real quick**

Sorry this chapter took so long. I wrote half of it weeks ago, and only now got around to finishing it. I wanted to also address some oddities in my writing that have confused some readers.

I often tend to** begin** or **end** chunks of the story with **Bold font.** This is not to emphasis importance or_ thoughts_ or anything like that, it is merely to help separate sections of the story with dramatic effect. Similar to my use of the Horizontal line. It is a stylistic choice.

As well, only Harakin's perspective will ever be First Person. Any other character will be Third Person. I do have a dynamic switch of perspectives in this chapter, but it is sort of explained by that character changing.

Now then, I've rambled enough, I hope you all enjoy, the next chapter won't take so long...

God can the Clone Wars come fast enough...?

* * *

**(Supreme Chancellor's Quarters, Coruscant, 32 BBY)**

* * *

**"I suppose I have you to thank."** Chancellor Valorum said to me, as the two of us sat within his quarters, some drink being shared between the two of us. I didn't know exactly what it was, but it looked and smelled vaguely like tea, but tasted similar to watered down hot chocolate.

Odd.

"Indeed. As I said before, you intrigue me chancellor, since you hold such a difficult position, yet you continue to try and do your best at maintaining order within the Senate… considering the people attempting to hold you back." I said to him, neither of us mentioning Palpatine, but both knowing he was on our minds.

"I was meaning to ask. How did you get all that information?" Valorum asked me, the man taking a drink as he tried to sound not too strict or judgemental.

Obviously he was trying not to offend me.

I just laughed.

"My droids are literally everywhere in the Galaxy. What no one knows when they buy them though, is that each records every single thing around them, and transmits it all to my database. Hell… I have most of the Republic's database copied already." I said to the man, completely unafraid of his reaction, considering he was poised on death's door already.

He merely blinked for a second, before settling back in his seat.

"That's really concerning."

"Oh definitely." I said in response, breaking into a laugh as the two of us sat back, a comfortable silence falling on us.

Valorum broke the quiet first, placing his drink down on the table before us, the silver mug clanging with an echo.

"So, I must address my biggest concern. What do you get out of this, or, what do you want in return for my continued servitude to the Republic, and my life?"

I sat for a moment, before instantly having my answer, as Clara's suggestion from back on Tatooine came to mind.

She had a few suggestions for the company's growth, and this had been the perfect opportunity.

"I want a building permit, a trade agreement, and a license to conduct business on Republic grounds." I said in a rush, draining the last of my mug as I let the request settle into Valorum's mind.

The man bounced back quickly.

"I… expected a lot more than that, to be honest."

"I understand, but I would rather expand Skydroids into the galaxy, rather than follow in the Trade Federation's steps, and request something absurd like political immunity. If I did, I imagine someone like me would come along and ruin me, just as I plan to ruin them." I said with a huff, focusing once more on the man as he pulled out his datapad, which appeared to be of the same brand and mark as mine.

That would make the file transfer even easier, I thought with a smirk.

Valorum returned my smile, as he finished his process in a rush.

"Well, Mister Skywalker, I believe we have an agreement. Welcome to the seedy, horrific business world of Coruscant. In no other way, will you discover how awful this planet is." Valorum said with a chuckle, the two of us shaking hands as the documents found their way to my pad.

**"Glad to be here."**

* * *

**(Jedi Council Chambers, Coruscant, 32 BBY)**

* * *

**Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn bowed with exhaustion clear on his frame.**

The Jedi Master had working without sleep for almost two days now, as he had been trying with all his might to avoid the horrific future he predicted, as he almost seemed to know that Anakin would go on to do nothing but bad if left to his own devices.

He had once been a devout follower of the Jedi Code, but after all his failures, after Mandalore… He had become much more balanced in the ways of the Force, and that reflected much of how he considered those around him.

While many Jedi balked at Anakin's refusal to abide by many tenets of the Jedi, Qui-Gon was fully willing to give into Anakin's demands, as he considered Anakin's decision to be an unconventional Jedi much better than that of an unwatched Force wielder set loose in the galaxy…

So, he had worked nonstop to convince his fellows to listen and give the boy a chance, and he had succeeded, much to his delight… but he hadn't gotten a chance to rest, and when he had… the Jedi Council of course had to summon him…

"You summoned me Masters?" Qui-Gon asked almost passive aggressively, his exhaustion weighing on him as he tried to maintain an even tone towards them.

Windu easily picked up on his annoyance, but the others seemed oblivious.

"Yes Master Jinn. Are you aware of the events of the Senate Meeting earlier today?" An alien Jedi, with a face very similar to a respirator, addressed him, his hands resting together. Qui-Gon shook his head at Plo Koon, the Master understanding.

"I am not aware. I have been preoccupied by many matters since I returned to Coruscant."

The Master nodded at this, before Yoda turned to face the long haired man, Qui-Gon bowing his head before the Grandmaster.

"Surprises, Valorum has revealed. Exposed, the Trade Federation has been." Yoda spoke, his eyes still closed in concentration as Qui-Gon wondered how long his luck would last.

Anakin accepted into the Jedi, and the Trade Federation revealed as evil?

How very fortunate.

"Then… does that mean that the Republic will aid Naboo?" Qui-Gon asked them, a hopeful tone to his voice as he hoped that his luck would continue on.

The last time he had this good of luck, his first lightsaber had exploded on him… He didn't push his luck often, but he chanced it here.

"Of course, but here we aren't alone. Many planets have pledged their aid to Naboo, along with the droid company Sky-Droids. They stepped forward to pledge assistance to the Naboo Royal Family, and many others stepped forward." Windu explained, an almost happy look on his face, as despite his hesitation to work with the mysterious tech company, he hated the idea of the beautiful Naboo being ravaged by those savages.

"Sent to help, you will be. Aid our allies in battle, you will." Yoda ordered him, Qui-Gon instantly bowing as he deeply desired to be back on the planet, trying to do what he couldn't before, beating back the vile Trade Federation and freeing the planet form its invaders.

"Of course Masters." Qui-Gon said with a small smile as he turned to leave, only to be stopped by Windu's call.

"Qui-Gon, one last thing."

The Jedi in question froze and turned back then, waiting for whatever Windu wished him to know.

"Be careful on Naboo, something doesn't seem right."

Qui-Gon nodded then, as he had felt the same.

Things were going much too well, and they were.

But not for too long, as figures began to plot once more in the shadows, the Jedi blinded in their shining light.

Their only salvation being to be dragged into the darkness that they hated, that foul darkness holding the key to their survival.

If only they would let themselves feel that which they rejected.

**Their code was killing them.**

* * *

**"Obi-Wan, ready the Interceptors."** Qui-Gon said to the young man, the two standing inside the Jedi Temple's hanger, Starfighter ships waiting to be flown all ready around them. The Delta-7 Interceptors had been a recent acquisition by the Jedi, the Council of which had been against the idea of owning Starfighters, but the more paranoid of the Order had demanded them, so five of the Interceptors now sat in the Order's possession.

Obi-Wan began to ready the two battered Interceptors, the ones that had been assigned to the two of them after their previous ship had been destroyed during their ill-fated meeting with the Trade Federation.

"We're headed to Naboo, right Master?" Obi-Wan asked the older man, who nodded briskly.

"Yes, we're to meet with the generals of the different Armies, and cooperate a battle strategy. Alderaan, Arkanis, Birren, Roonan, and other systems have all sent forces to assist us in taking back the planet." Qui-Gon explained as he began packing what little supplies he would need into his Interceptor, his mind racing.

"That's great Master!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, shocked that so many planets would aid in their liberation of Naboo, convinced that there was no way they could lose now.

"Yes, but that alone isn't all of our allies. Anakin has pledged his company to assist Naboo, hundreds of his droids already landing on the planet to assist the Republic effort." Qui-Gon said to the man, the finer details of it all shown clear in his mind, as he remarked over what Windu had said.

Things weren't right in this all, almost as if this was a trap.

Things were going way too well, and he was merely waiting for this all to collapse on them.

He knew it would.

"Then this will all go smoothly." Obi-Wan said with an odd positivity, one not often seen in times like this, yet the light in his soul and the Force burned bright.

Qui-Gon tried to smile at his Padawan's sureness, but he couldn't help but worry…

**He had a bad feeling about this.**

* * *

**"We'll be back soon Anakin."** Qui-Gon said to me with a comforting voice, clapping a hand on my shoulder as he looked towards Obi-Wan.

The two of them were heading off to Naboo to fight off the Trade Federation… and leaving me here.

Granted, to the Jedi, I was but a boy that held only a vague understanding of the Force, and it wasn't like I was letting them know the truth so soon.

So, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, the Naboo Queen, and her boring bodyguard were all blasting off to battle, while I was supposed to stay on Coruscant, and study Jedi ways that I wouldn't be following anyway…

As soon as I was led off back to the Temple, and dropped off in the Youngling Dormitory, I was left to my own devices… which was perfect.

Throwing a ward up on the room with a free hand, I activated my ear piece with a tap.

"Warm Greeting: Hello Master, how may I be of assistance?" Clara's familiar voice asked of me, my attention falling to my datapad as I began logging into my company's secure channel.

"Hello Clara, the Jedi have set off for Naboo, are the Assault Droids in position to assist them?" I asked her, looking over the schematics. I had designed it in a rush of designs, failures marking many models unusable and forcing me onwards.

I had sent these droids out in mass ships, bringing the 130th Model droids to Naboo's surface, lying in wait for the battle to begin.

"Pleased Exclamation: The 130s are in battle ready positions, and will be triggered to activation when the Jedi land. They will present themselves, and assist them in the battle." Clara said confidently, my datapad bringing up holograms of the planet, the patterns of the Trade Federations droids, and the placements of my own.

I had already surveyed the Federation's ships, which I would be dealing with quickly, but my main focus was on the planet and the Jedi.

While the Jedi were stiff and uncompromising in many ways, I had grown fond of Qui-Gon and his Padawan, and wanted to see them come out of this alive, though I wasn't concerned for Qui-Gon, I was skeptical if Obi-Wan would survive the conflict.

He had proved himself in combat, but plans always fail, and sometimes all it takes to die is a single moment of not paying attention.

So, I activated a protocol I had designed back on Tatooine, which only now was ready.

"Clara, how is SC-5 performing?" I asked her, the basic droid appearing on my screen. After thinking over what I could create in my work, I found electronics familiar and satisfying, but couldn't help but think of my old friend Stark.

So, the SC line was created, a series of droids that I could control safely from home, unlike Stark's suits.

"Answer: The SC-5 model is primed and active Master. In anticipation, I had the model transported to Naboo's surface along with the droids, and it is ready for activation."

I nodded as the droid's code unlocked for me, enabling me to access it's controls.

Doing a last check to ensure no one would be entering my room, I pulled a cord free from my robes, and plugged one end into the pad, the other extending to reveal a sharp needle.

Taking a breath, I inserted the cord into my arm and laid back on the small bed, holographic code flying past my gaze as I lost myself in their colors.

Closing my eyes, I let myself go, and found myself far from my body...

With a mechanical groan, a tall, silver droid stood within a darkened alcove inside the Naboo Palace, it's piercing green eyes burning in the dark like a curse best left forgotten.

It blinked twice, only to rub it's metallic jaw, an odd pain running through it's circuits as it lost the feeling of a human body and found itself in that of a droid.

Along with the droid's circuits having to support the full brunt of Anakin's brain waves, which was enough to fry most droids from the inside.

This droid was different however, enscribed with runic symbols all designed to hold his conscious and magic without being destroyed.

Conveniently, the Force wasn't too different energy wise, so any Runes he created worked well enough.

Taking stock of its… his, surroundings, Anakin heard sounds of battle going on, proving that the other armies hadn't waited to begin the battle, leaving the Jedi to arrive in an active war zone…

**"Well, at least I'm here..."**

* * *

**(Naboo, Chommell sector, 32 BBY**

* * *

**After a rough landing,** rife with the Trade Federation ships trying to shoot them out of the sky, forcing them to land in the wilderness of the planet, not far from where they had landed in the Federation's dropships.

Obi-Wan and his master had split up, Obi-Wan heading off to help the armies as Qui-Gon went to escort the Queen to her throne.

Left on his own, Obi-Wan began cutting his way through more droids than he had ever seen, and had taken more blaster grazes than he would have liked.

Emerging from the woodworks of the Planet, Obi-Wan found a tall dugout in the battlefield, an Alderaanian commander and his troops hidden within.

"You're the Jedi, right?" A muscled man with more scars on his head than he had hairs asked them, a large rifle in his arms as droids fired their blasters at their cover.

"I am, how can I assist you?" Obi-Wan asked them swiftly, his mind running over strategies about how they could turn the tide.

He had no idea where the other armies where, nor where the droids on their side were.

"Diric Dawnwalker, Commander of the Army of Alderaan." The man introduced himself with a quick nod, as he looked over two injured soldiers, one cradling his wounded leg while the other was unconscious. "As soon as we landed we were fired on. We met up with Birren's forces and split with them by the ocean, but we haven't seen anyone else besides droids since then."

Obi-Wan nodded at that assessment, not sure whether or not they had come across Anakin's droids in this event, but he would have to find out for himself.

Qui-Gon and himself were given images of Anakin's droids that would meet them, so he decided to lead these men to meet up with their droid allies.

"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, allow me to help you reunite with our allies." Obi-Wan said confidently, giving a hand to the injured soldier and pulling him to his feet.

Helping the soldiers and readying himself, Obi-Wan jumped from cover, meeting the waves of droids head on.

**He doubted Qui-Gon was having this much trouble…**

* * *

**"Your majesty, you must stay safe.**" Qui-Gon explained to the stubborn young woman, trying to get her to see that she would be safer with the Skydroids they had found, a Roonan troop joining them along the way.

They had stopped off at a Royal security center, the Jedi and his charge meeting their allies in a crowd of the Federation's forces, the three groups joining together in the small, reinforced station.

Qui-Gon stopped them their, as he knew that something was wrong with the palace, the Dark Side crawling over the place like snakes in a den of darkness.

He could not allow the young Queen to enter that cesspool, as he felt warning after warning burning through him, the Force almost beginning to scream at him.

Padme, however, refused to see his reasoning and demanded that she follow him into what had to be a trap.

"This is my planet Master Jedi, and I will defend it against these invaders, no matter the cost." The Queen argued, her face flushed with anger as she all but shot him with the burning rage in her eyes, obviously thinking that he was treating her like a child.

"Indeed, and you will have much defending to do in the coming weeks, but not if you die to a stray blaster shot." Qui-Gon argued in return, his intention clear. He would not let her die on his watch, as too many had before.

She tried to argue once more, attempting to push past him, only for him to grab her shoulder in a gentle grip.

"Padme, you must stay here. If the Queen of Naboo dies, then this battle is already over." He said to her softly, the fight leaving her body as she realized that he was right, the anger draining from her as she thought of all that would happen in the event of her death.

Naboo would lose their Queen, and would mourn her… until they found a replacement, which could take years if this battle destroyed as much as she thought it would…

Let alone her family, who would be devastated by her loss, her parents losing their youngest daughter, her sister alone and likely feeling guilty, as Sola had been the initial choice for Queen, only to step down in favor of her sister…

Padme hadn't thought of what would happen if she should die, and that cold realization sunk in.

"Do you understand now, your majesty?" Qui-Gon asked of her, the girl nodding as she pulled herself together. He merely smiled as he knew that she was a fighter, though this was not the battle she was ready for.

"Very good. I will defeat those vile invaders you majesty, make no mistake of that. Naboo will stand after this day, I promise you that." Qui-Gon said with a surety not known to many, as he thought of all he had done, and the reverse of what he had hoped for her to discover.

The consequences of death, and that led him to the same thought.

What would happen if he died?

He only hoped that it wouldn't come to that, as he stepped free from the safety of the station, stepping once more into battle, blasters firing and droids and soldiers all dropping around him.

This place felt so very wrong… yet something familiar lay near… the Dark Side walked this planet, he felt their presence…

The division in the Force felt clearer than he had ever felt it, the Dark Side twisting and stabbing at his senses…

This confirmed the suspense he had held secret for so long…

**The Sith lived…**

* * *

**Obi-Wan stood in a pile of bodies,** both flesh and machine, as he looked on at the ruined bodies of their allies, the soldiers he had met and so many more, all lay devastated around him, the young Jedi only having been saved due to his survival instincts.

When a droning noise erupted through the skies, Obi-Wan had cloaked himself in the Force, praying to the Force itself to protect him as the Federation dropped bombs across the battlefield, obliterating their droids and his soldiers alike.

Obi-Wan was alone in this new graveyard of battle for longer than he could remember, lost in his thoughts and the Force, until he sensed a presence behind him… a… rageful, presence.

He didn't need to turn to know that the Dark Side had approached, and this being was its agent.

He didn't need to, but he turned to face that which sought to kill him where he stood.

A tall figure stalked towards him, black robes flowing off their body like smoke as the Force radiated off them like heat from a sun.

A long Lightsaber hilt hung from their left hand, as the other rose to pull their hood back, revealing a male Zabrak that couldn't have been much older than Obi-Wan himself.

Black and red marking ran across the alien's face, horns erupting through his skull, golden eyes shining through his dark sockets.

Obi-Wan knew those eyes, and he knew that which this creature had to be.

Just as his Master had feared…

"You've come to kill me, I assume." Obi-Wan asked the assassin with a trace of humor, knowing he likely faced an opponent fiercer than any he had ever met before.

The Sith did not answer, merely readying his saber, a crimson blade extending from it.

Obi-Wan returned the gesture, his blue blade burning free in the through the falling ash, a ship crashing down to the planet not far from where their confrontation had come to be.

Raising a hand to his opponent, and aiming his saber towards the Sith's head, Obi-Wan took a breath, and the Force aimed his hand.

**He would not let the Sith rise again.**

* * *

**Qui-Gon's feelings of unease were true.**

He had expected waves upon waves of droids to ambush him, defenses to be turned against him… yet he found empty halls for him to pass, silence greeting him, his footsteps intruders in this unnatural quiet.

And yet, he continued on, the Force telling him to run back to the Temple, to forget Naboo even existed…

He ignored it, his steps thunderous in the quiet of the palace, his eyes only on where he was to go, the throne room not far.

He stilled his mind, banished his fears, and straighten his grip on his Lightsaber, the emerald blade ready and willing to defend it's wielder…

But no opposition stood in his path, no enemy, droid or otherwise rose to meet his gaze nor his blade.

He felt unease like none before, as his paranoia spiked, fearing an attack from any angle, but knowing he was prepared to fight off his attacker.

What he was not prepared for, however, was to reach the Throne Room… and hear a familiar voice from behind him, a voice he would always remember.

A voice he felt responsible for failing.

"Ah, Qui-Gon, finally my lost Padawan returns to my side." A deep, regal voice said in the silence, as Qui-Gon turned to face the man he had known most his life, one that had left all they had held dear, believing that there had to be a better way.

One Qui-Gon had felt responsible for him having fallen.

**"Hello Dooku."**

* * *

**A third man in black,** one much older and skilled than either of the Sith that faced their enemies, sat alone in his chambers, having come to Naboo to oversee their efforts on the planet… and ensuring that they would not fail.

Darth Sidious, or as he was commonly known, Sheev Palpatine, rested in the elegant room, his mind open to the Force's gentle touches, the future unveiling before him.

He knew not what lie ahead in this conflict or those he would begin, but he saw the fates of those the Force had deigned important or powerful.

He saw one being that warranted attention, one that would strip away the Jedi's many layers, and seemingly bring a new age to the Galaxy, if he was so allowed.

Sidious could not allow the Jedi to live, nor to evolve as this man sought to do… yet, the Force refused to show him this man, nor delight him with his name… but he was familiar.

Something about him seared it's way through Sidious' mind, pulling him towards some conclusion that he wasn't powerful enough to see… emerald eyes burning back into his golden gaze, a being staring back at him as he did at it.

He felt… confusion, and slight fear, because the Force showed him this man for a reason, and would not tell him why… This man, was a turning point, a… Crux… in the Force.

He tried with all his might, even begging the Force to reveal it's champions name… and finally, after so much effort… it gave away.

His mind was enlightened, and a single word was revealed to him, then infuriating him beyond belief, for surely no one had such a name as that.

He was even more lost than he had been before…

What good was knowing a name that would lead nowhere?

However, at least he had a name for this Crux, this… mysterious specter of the Force…

**Harry.**


	7. Suffering

**Life 75: Chosen Again**

* * *

**(Naboo, Chommell sector, 32 BBY)**

* * *

**"Clara, status update."** I called out in my new robotic voice, my arms raised as I blasted back another crowd of enemy droids, my sensors detecting more presences to my left.

I had caught up with a battalion of my own droids and had been helping them push back against the enemy … only to lose any trace of the Jedi all together.

Not a single droid had seen them, and my remote sensor array had found itself faltering.

I knew that if the Jedi were lost to us, this entire conflict would fall out of our grasp.

We would fail, no matter my actions, if we lost them.

I couldn't allow that.

"Steady Update: Master, the Arkanis and Birren forces have been entirely wiped out due to the Federation releasing their Super Battle Droids. We have lost twelve droids, and decimated the majority of the Federation droids. However, their flagship remains, and they continue to drop new and better droids in waves onto the planet surface. I have deployed a shuttle of droids to intercept it. Despite it all, I am not confident that Naboo will avoid extreme disaster even if we do win." Clara reported from within my synthetic skull, what could only be described as a half-assed grimace coming over my face.

This could have been better, if only the Jedi had sent more of their forces, but I knew that what we needed were pilots.

I would have joined the orbital assault myself, but I still couldn't figure my way around a spaceship.

What I wouldn't give for a good old broom…

Regardless of the odds, I left my droids behind to combat their inferior combatants, and decided to turn the tides.

"Clara, send probes immediately to locate the Jedi."

"Immediate Response: Of course Master." Clara said as soon as possible, the sound of her fingers typing away clear to hear as I waited for her response, my hand repulsors kept active as wave after wave of idiotic droids tried their luck.

It wasn't good enough, not against a makeshift Arc Reactor.

"Good. Now then, what's the status in the atmosphere?" I asked her, my connection to my droids loose, my robotic form having taken a hit not too long, my internal scanners deactivated due to the damage.

There was no way the Federation hadn't cannibalized my technology, as there was no way my droids should have been this vulnerable, nor my personal model.

I needed to upgrade my stock.

"Analysis: No ally fighters are in orbit. Aside from the Sky-droids Shuttle, only the Federation flagship remains." She said in that same comforting way she always had, but it did nothing to calm me as it usually did.

I faced a sharp edge, no quarter was given to me here, as I had a choice to make.

It wasn't a hard one to make, damn the consequences.

"Clara, does that shuttle have hyperdrive?"

"Of course, Master."

I took what sounded like a breath then, before I focused my eyes on the horizon, the Federation's bombs staining the sky a blinding and horrific scarlet.

No turning back.

"Command the shuttle to pierce through the flagship. I want a hole punched right through it." I said with as little emotion as possible, which wasn't hard in this shell.

"Concerned Comment: Master, the collateral damage from the flagship would be extreme." Clara asked of me, the worry clear to hear in her voice, a sadness evident in her tone.

I didn't care at this point.

We were pushed to the extreme, and this was the final measure left to us.

"It will be worse if that flagship stays up there." I explained, my wrist flying up to blast a stealth droid to pieces, my patience for the Federation falling to all time low.

I had once carried the name of Butcher, as that all familiar rage was coming back to the forefront of my mind, disconnected as it might have been.

I had to get a grip on my spiraling sanity, but not here.

Not now.

"Updated Response: Master, probes have detected one of the Jedi."

Nodding, I tapped into the probe footage, seeing the hazy image of a brown clothed Jedi fighting off a man in black, their lightsabers clashing against the others as fires burned around them, the ground burned to cinders as they fought fiercely.

"Which of the Jedi is that?" I asked her, my sensors trying to enhance the footage, only for the feed to cut out.

"Jedi Kenobi." she said simply, the image clearing to the show the young Jedi, the side of his face burned from a saber slash. The man's luck was running out as he limped back from the Zabrak's strikes.

We were running out of time.

**"I'm on my way Kenobi..."**

* * *

**"The rumors are true then…"** Qui-Gon Jinn asked of his former master, the two circling each other, the elegant lights of the throne room bathing them in golden lights.

Neither had drawn their sabers, but the tension in the world was burning away at the Force, a dark presence bearing down on them, untitled rage sapping at their minds.

Something, or someone, had brought them here, for whatever reasoning… it was not pleasant.

Qui-Gon could feel the darkness trying to overwhelm him, an unnatural anger trying to force his hand.

He would not let the dark control him any more than it once had.

Ironically enough, his former master had been the one to bring him back to the light.

It was his duty to do the same for him.

"The rumors, if they be what I suspect, could not be farther from the truth. I thought you would be clever enough to see through them." Count Dooku, the once afamed Jedi Master, sneered at his former Padawan, his hands resting at his sides, not right hand not far from his belted saber.

The two might have found themselves in a dialogue, but the inevitable conflict was as clear to see as the Dark Side burning through their souls.

"The rumors, stated that you had fallen to the Darkness, that you were leading your homeworld to ruin. That you had become bitter and enraged at the Republic's corruption. I know you Dooku, better than any other." Qui-Gon argued, trying to reach out to the man that he had known as the closest thing to a father.

"I know they're true, but I intend to remedy them. If only you would let me, as I did for you."

Dooku's eyes lowered then, a shine returning to them as he refused to look at his generous friend, a feeling akin to shame fluttering through him before being driven out.

"I have only gratitude for you believing in me Qui-Gon, for you to believe me worthy of redemption, but I do not need your help old friend." Dooku said with a sad smile, his hand drifting from his saber, his hands meeting behind his back as he looked fondly on the one he cared for most. "I am not driven by darkness Qui-Gon, I am my own entity, free from the Force's ties. I walk neither darkness nor light, yet the Order refuses to see it. The Jedi have lost their reasoning, and believe themselves gods. They believe the Sith speak in absolutes, yet their fear of the Dark Side is absolute. We need not fear the darkness, for it holds balance that is dearly needed. The Jedi must have balance, or they will sadly fall. I do not desire that anymore than you do."

Dooku cared for the man before him, wanting so badly to return with him, to don the robes of a teacher once more, to pick up his green saber once more, but he couldn't.

He had sworn to achieve the forbidden. To achieve a balance only seen few times before.

He knew that the Jedi Order had fallen far from where they belonged, and that only through force could it be regained.

He may be called Sith, but his conscience had never been more firm.

He followed not the mantra of darkness, but of his hero…

"What, do you plan to do to change the scales then Dooku? Would you go to war just to change them? To wipe out the brothers and sisters you once loved, until only the obedient remain? Do you think that the Galaxy would prosper from such sheer destruction?" Qui-Gon asked of the man he had thought he knew, but the darkness had began to follow him, even if he couldn't see it.

"If I must." Dooku said to the man he once considered a son, his eyes flickering gold as he reached once more to his saber, his will forged in steel.

**A lesson must be taught then.**

* * *

**Darth Sidious was no longer the man he once was.**

Plagius had killed whatever belief he held, that the way of Bane could bring them to power.

The Order of Two, while it ensured a formidable strength to the Dark Side, it prompted only self-destruction.

After all, Sidious knew well the urge to kill one's Master, to take from them their position and tear from them their power and knowledge.

So, he had changed, ever since he felt that very first disturbance in the Force almost a decade ago when he felt the Force quiver.

He had known then, that the ways of old could not lead to victory, and thus had looked far into the past, to a time of a Sith Empire. To thousands of their kind destroying the members of the Jedi Order, and wiping them out from the Galaxy.

While the Jedi rats had survived, the Sith had been dominant then, the champions of the Force. Only from the return to grace of their Order, could the Sith reign.

So, despite having Maul under his control, he had looked farther out into the Galaxy, searching for the Dark Side hidden in the hearts of others, those with the ability to tap into the dark energies within them.

They would be his soldiers, the allies and pawns he would use to force the Galaxy to his will, to ensure only his hand guided their fates.

Dooku was one such warrior, his heart swelling with rage and desire, but Sidious knew the man was weak.

He would not last, he would defy his will with time, but there were others. So many that would answer the call and join his new Empire… and he had two potential Sith almost in his grasp.

**Naboo was never his goal.**

* * *

**"Do you believe… the Dark Side… holds your salvation?"** Obi-Wan asked the dark warrior before him, body feeling an exhaustion he had never known before.

The Dark Side swelled around them, its claws tearing at the young man's body, the feeling of uselessness and fear pulling at his sore bones.

Nothing mattered. He was a failure. Everything he cared for would burn and shrivel.

That was what the wicked Force whispered to him, the horrible voices turning to screams as the Zabrak began to raise his assault to a higher degree, the crimson blade searing Obi-Wan's skin as he forced the warrior off, trying his best to keep the blade from slicing through him.

Obi-Wan may have been skilled, having been trained by one of the best Jedi in the Order, but a Sith was an opponent of a different level, fighting with a ferocity that Obi-Wan had never imagined possible.

The air was toxic to him, the wind piercing as the heat of the land burned at him, the fumes of the destruction tearing at his senses.

His end would be soon, he knew this much, but he was determined to take this monster with him.

If Obi-Wan met his end here, this beast would as well.

To his surprise however, the Sith sneered at him, his toothed maw opening in response, his blade rising.

To Obi-Wan's tired surprise, the crimson saber extended, as the hilt released a second side.

A saber style of old, one vicious and violent, having once been that of a Jedi and corrupted by the Sith.

To his greater surprise however, the Sith answered him question, and made him wonder whether the alien was as inhuman as he had believed.

**"Not my own."**

* * *

**"Windu, sense it, do you?"** The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, Yoda asked of his dear friend, the grizzled Jedi turning to him with a solemn look.

The man shared his superior's wariness, understanding what he had asked of him.

"A great loss, am I correct?" Mace Windu asked, the Force shaking around them, the usual cloud around it clearing quickly as a single emotion shot through it, overriding their senses as all felt its call.

"Yet, it is not. In the future, it lies. Lies ahead, Darkness hides." Yoda said to him, the creature's eyes shining as it felt the depths of the Force's sadness, the future growing shadowy as the light flickered in the scale of fate.

Their fate began to tip out of their favor, which was not what they had expected, but it was not unexpected.

Yoda had felt that same possibility echoing since Anakin Skywalker had walked into the temple, but this was not his doing, nor would it be.

He knew Skywalker was more than he appeared, and held a grasp behind what any of them had expected. He felt - otherworldly.

The Force trembled around the boy, coursing around him as it jumped to his will despite how little he knew it. Yet, it warped itself around his touch, its presence so different from how Yoda had known it, its feeling and shaping transforming in energy.

Yoda knew the boy used the Force in a different manner, the presence of control evident in the boy's aura, despite how he may try to hide it.

His efforts were enough to hide from the alien's fellow Jedi, but not from him.

Yoda had lived and seen enough, that the boy could not hide from his gaze.

The future may lay in darkness, but he knew Skywalker held the key to a brighter sky, and he would not allow the Jedi themselves to prevent what may be their survival. But he foresaw many opposition to their salvation, and much loss.

He wept a single tear as he cut free that which he had held dear and sacred. He readied himself for what lie ahead.

**Yoda would not hesitate.**

* * *

**The two lay weary,** their forms tired and hesitant, as neither sought to kill the other.

Qui-Gon had not entered this conflict to end his mentor, his master, his father in the Force - rather than blood.

Dooku had followed the same resolve, but he knew that few choices were left to him, his actions here would be what mattered most.

Mercy or ambition.

His future, or his soul.

His blood, or his flesh.

His son… or his master.

Qui-Gon had taken much pain from the man he held dear, a slice deep in his shoulder as he lost feeling in it, His saber arm was crippled as he let the weapon fall free from his grasp, his knees beginning to buckle as his chin rose upwards.

His brown eyes met that of Dooku's the colors so similar that one would assume they were the same, and the same sadness met both sets.

"Master… do not do this. This path leads to nothing but suffering… you taught me that yourself." Qui-Gon begged of the aged man before him.

He never thought they would be here, nor that Dooku's blade would meet his throat.

His trust in the man had brought him to this end, the two of them meeting at this sad state.

Destiny had met them on this plane of grief, and they met its gaze.

Only they would choose their paths, and that would pervert or avert the dark way before them, and before the Galaxy.

Nothing rest at that moment, aside from them.

"Qui-Gon, I do not want to do this, you know that. But I know you will not let me go. Where I go, you can not follow. You are not prepared for what I must undergo, and I will not subject you to it," Dooku said. Grief colored his words as he straightened his jaw.

"Master…"

"I will make this easy for both of us," Dooku said to him, his saber raising into the air. The heart of the moment began to wither and burn, the darkness singing in the Force as time came to a halt.

Qui-Gon cleared his mind, remembering the lessons he had learned of the Force and what lay before. He fully expected to feel Dooku's saber coming down on his head. He grunted in surprise as the saber instead came down upon his shoulder, slicing the wounded flesh free from his body.

The wound cauterized, Qui-Gon felt his body give in, falling to the elegant floor next to his lost limb. Darkness consumed his vision.

"All will be well my son, I promise you that," Dooku said softly, his saber being sheathed as the man walked from his old friend's form, the other man falling from his view.

Qui-Gon felt shock overcoming him, but he felt an odd peace.

**He believed Dooku.**

* * *

**"Do you have a name?"** Padme Amidala asked of the dark droid that had decided her side was where it belonged.

Its blaster following her movements and protected her form.

The droid met her eyes then, before brightening its eyes.

It took a moment then, almost as if in thought, before it turned to her once again.

"Droid Model AD-130. Designation: Frederick," The battle droid said in a joyous tone, its blaster halted on its shoulder as it turned to her.

She blinked in surprise as the droid seemed to grow a personality on the spot - as it actually had.

"You … you're different. Why is that?" she asked of it, her curiosity got the better of her. The droid would not judge her for it, instead feeling an odd sense of gratitude.

No surprise was had by it, as it knew exactly what she meant.

"All Sky-droid models, even Astromech, are built with a customization matrix. By asking for my designation, you have triggered my temperament protocol. Thus, my programming has created a personality to differentiate myself from my brethren," the droid said with a salute. The light pattern in its head flickered in what she could only assume was a form of a smile.

She liked this droid.

"That's … amazing," she said to him, her mind spinning as she couldn't believe a droid could generate a personality on it's own. It was … remarkable.

"Far from it your majesty. My master has prepared his droids for commercial use. My kind is often used for mercenary work. A mindless droid can not prepare tactics, nor can they change perspectives. My personality ensures I am prepared for any situation."

The droid spoke with something akin to awe and pride as she began to reconsider her view on the Skywalker boy.

He held a darkness to him, that was obvious. Yet, he created such life in synthetic beings when he had no reason to.

Perhaps she was wrong and the droid's happy muttering about his master only confirmed it.

Anakin Skywalker was much more than he pretended to be.

**What a curious boy.**

* * *

**"Your strength is not yours boy."**

The Zabrak, the hidden Darth Maul, growled as the young Jedi somehow held back against the assault.

Maul could not understand how the boy managed to survive so long as he had, but he would not allow himself to be beat by such a fragile opponent.

The shame from such a loss would be excruciating, and Maul would not allow himself to suffer a fate such as that, nor his brothers.

Oh, they didn't know of him, nor that they had another brother, but he knew of them.

He had watched them for so long, and held a form of love for them, in his own way.

And Sidious knew of them as well, holding their fates over him to force his hand.

He called his actions protection, but Maul knew they were prisoners to the Sith he called Master.

That his failure here would mean their deaths. Savage and Feral... He couldn't afford to lose to the pitiful Jedi. Not just for himself, but for them.

He growled in anger, his saber striking back against the Jedi's weak protests, pushing him further and further away from the battlefield. The edge of the cliff approached, the Naboo ocean lying beyond them.

He would end this conflict here, return victorious. Perhaps his Master would be so kind as to allow him leave, perhaps he could finally meet his brothers.

Only … he felt a presence behind him in the Force. He and the Jedi and Sith both turned, the heavy footsteps before them.

A tall and sleek silver droid stood there, its frame impressive and covered with incribings. A shining light was lodged in its chestplate, an emerald glow emanating from it.

Its head faced them then, metal eye sockets glowing with an identical glow, an almost mystical glow burned from its gaze.

Maul took advantage of the Jedi's distraction, raising his saber to quickly strike at him, only to hear a robotic whisper from the droid.

"Stupefy."

Maul's body fell, his eyes rolling shut as his entire body fell to darkness. It collided to the ground with a thud as Obi-Wan Kenobi stared in surprise, the droid placing a metal rod back into its arm.

He could only assume it belonged to his sort-of-friend, but his brief peace was suddenly shattered. The Force screamed at him, the world shaking in his view as he fell to his knees, the energies that bound him tearing at his mind.

The droid met a similar fate as a presence snuck behind him like he had to the two in combat.

With a wicked laugh, azure lightning struck forward through the air, the elemental energy striking the droid's body. As it began to fall forward the power pierced through it as its synthetic mind began to collapse. The mind attached to it began to panic and fall into shock.

"So, my apprentice is felled by a simple droid," a sickly voice said in amusement. The dark cloaked figure walked forward slowly, coming to a halt beside the other Sith. Obi-Wan's body collapsed to the ground as the dark essence of the figure broke what little hold Obi-Wan had on his consciousness.

After all the torment he had faced, along with the Force's assault on his mind, the sheer presence of the powerful Sith lord was too much for the young Jedi.

The Sith laughed as he stepped next to his apprentice, surprised to see the Zabrak still breathing.

He supposed that his apprentice would live to fail him another day, but he appreciated what little he had managed.

Kenobi would have taken more to incapacitate than most, so Maul had played his part in wearing the Jedi down.

"Awaken, Maul," Darth Sidious growled out, shocking the Zabrak awake with a harsh jolt of electricity. The younger Sith jumped in pain as he found himself awake once more.

The Sith's eyes narrowed in hate as he saw his master, Sidious found only amusement.

He found Maul a hilarious threat, knowing the Zabrak would never be enough to challenge his might.

All the better to let him believe what he wanted to believe.

His grudge would ensure he grew stronger and became a better soldier.

"Maul, I have done what you failed to do. The Jedi is down, and the droid that managed to defeat you has been deactivated. Since they have evaded your power, perhaps they will be more of use than you," Sidious said with a clear threat to the man's position, but Maul didn't know Sidious had changed his ways, teaching the Zabrak of the Order of Two on purpose. The man didn't need to know there would be others.

That would have only been distraction to his training.

However, while Maul might have thought that to be a threat, Sidious had already made his decision.

Pulling a device from his robes, he placed it to his mouth with a smile.

"Send a shuttle, I have two assets to be picked up. We have our Jedi … and a nice surprise." Sidious said with a wicked smirk, he looked down at the curious droid, noticing the odd glow in its chest.

What an odd design, as it looked much like a modified battle droid, yet the Force sung to him.

This droid was much more than it appeared.

**Sidious smiled.**

* * *

**"CLARA! DISCONNECT! DISCONNECT! CLARA!"** I screamed in the hollow confines of the droid, pleading with my assistant to hear me, to cut the connect between the droid and myself, begging fate to allow me to awaken in the Jedi temple, to be anywhere but kidnapped by the Sith.

To be safe… but all I heard was a single word, repeated over and over to my growing horror and panic.

"Error."

I felt the darkness closing in, as I felt tired. My mind began to fade as I felt a crushing feeling pull at my soul.

_Am I … dying?_ I asked myself, as an odd feeling overcame me, no longer hearing Clara's sweet voice repeating my grievous misfortune I heard an oh, so familiar voice speaking to me…

One I hadn't expected to ever hear again except in my most tearful dreams.

And another I hadn't heard in centuries, yet I knew it to be mine, or what once belonged to me.

"You know, your ability to carry on despite all the worst has always made me jealous," She said to me as I struggled in the dark, her light clinging to my soul in a way I had never felt before.

There was that lovely voice that I never told her it was, said in the darkness, and I remembered that conversation…

She and I had sat together in the sunlight, the war had ended… and darkness was all that I saw before us… but she saw differently.

Everything had seemed so much worse than anything I could have ever faced… yet now… I had found something worse than that…

"What do you mean?"

I had asked her about it, so many lives ago, not understanding it to be my greatest value, or flaw. I wouldn't let myself give up, for I couldn't handle the emptiness.

It felt as horrible as I could have ever imagined, lost in the dark without her.

"I mean- damn it Harry, the fact you were concerned about my little scratch, after you died on me? I couldn't handle it, no matter how selfish … you almost broke your promise," she had said to me. Her eyes were wet with tears as she broke down before me, always the strong woman she had once been. Now shattered in the wake of the onrushing darkness.

I had been so stupid - yet, I would gladly give up all I had learned and achieved just to see her again.

Her brown eyes were all I wanted to see as I slipped into darkness. She had saved me once, and I wished she was here with me now.

"I would never. You and me, together to the end," I had promised her, but it wouldn't be. We had parted at the end, and rather than embarking on our next journey together I was cursed to linger forever without her.

Now, I was alone.

If only, if only.

_I miss you H-_

**"CONNECTION LOST."**

* * *

**(Jedi Council Chambers, Coruscant, 31 BBY)**

* * *

**"You ask to abandon your post?"** Mace Windu asked of the person he least expected to leave the Jedi Order, shock filling his heart. And yet his mind understood.

Master Qui-Gon Jinn stood before the Council, his mind made up, a shiver flowing through his bones as he felt a cold feeling flow through him.

He felt the phantom pains return as he felt the spectral feeling once again where his right arm once was.

The Jedi Medical Corps had fitted him with a cybernetic replacement, one stronger than his original had been. Yet he refused the false flesh they normally used.

He wanted the metal and machinery to be evident, to remind him of what had happened to him. This was a mark against him, and he never wanted to forget it.

His eyes left the parting gift his former master had given him as he turned to look once more at the Jedi he knew so well, for what may be the last time.

"Yes," Qui-Gon said softly, his tired eyes meeting all of theirs as he stepped forward to them, his face determined despite it all. "Obi-Wan was my responsibility. I must find him."

The Council, especially Yoda, looked upon him with a shared sadness, but only Mace could find the strength to respond.

"There has been no sign of him and despite the grief we share with you, these are dark times. We can't afford to lose another Jedi."

Qui-Gon just shrugged off the response, as he had heard that same reasoning for the long months he had been recovering. Every day he felt the absence of his padawan. Looking upon the sleeping form of Anakin, his thoughts turned to the boy, wondering if he would awaken with time. Qui-Gon dreaded not being there for him, but he knew that Obi-Wan needed him more than Anakin did.

No one knew what had happened to Anakin, but it was believed he had forged a connection with Obi-Wan. The confrontation with the Sith had wounded him deeply.

All of them had been hurt, but he could only imagine the torment that Obi-Wan was subjected to in the Sith's horrid care, and pleaded to the Force that his padawan still lived.

Sadly, Qui-Gon wouldn't know until he found him, and the Sith...

All Qui-Gon knew was that the Sith had stolen his son and the boy he had quickly come to care for.

He would not allow them to carry on like this, hurting so many others, continuing their dark crusade.

He wouldn't let the Jedi hold him back any longer, even if he ended up falling like his former master.

Pulling his saber free, the one he had wielded for so long, through so much strife and battle, the one that had saved his life and that of so many others for so long… He dropped it to the hard floor, ignoring the crack that formed in the aged metal.

He had a new destiny, and the Jedi could not stop him from fulfilling it, from creating the balance Dooku had spoken of, but not in the way Dooku had pledged.

Perhaps similarly.

The Sith were his true enemy, he knew that now.

No longer would the Sith steal those he cared about.

No longer would they hurt the innocent if he could stop them.

He would destroy them before they would him…

No more suffering.

No more pain.

No more.

**"I resign from the Jedi Order."**


	8. Insidious

**Life 75: Chosen Again**

* * *

**(Naboo, Chommell sector, 84 BBY)**

* * *

**"Master Yoda, do you think this wise?"** A young man asked of his master, the two walking with the group of robed men.

The six had arrived in the dead of night, seeking to catch their targets by surprise.

Dooku, a padawan just getting used to combat, had journeyed to the peaceful planet with his master and a hunting party of Jedi, looking to find a criminal couple.

One that kept evading capture, so much so that Naboo's queen, Lorah, had requested their invention herself.

Now, the six of them stood outside a known criminal den, one that had been known as a hideout of smugglers… until they had gone missing.

Now, the Council believed the couple was there, hiding away on the peaceful planet.

After a string of murders, Naboo had gotten sick of them plaguing their city.

"Decided the Council has, bring justice to them, we must." Yoda, the ancient Jedi comforted him, the two stepping away from the party as they reached the shadowed alcove, the lights of the city far from their feet.

Dooku nodded then in respect, though he felt anger that Yoda had commanded him to stay outside, stating that he would be more useful staying outside the home.

Far from danger.

Dooku knew Yoda only asked this since he cared, but he also felt the sting of pain, as he felt that his master had deemed him weak.

Of course, he was wrong, but he couldn't help feeling it in his chest.

"Justice master? Master Jade seems to have a different definition than we do…" Dooku muttered in frustration, recalling what the leading Jedi had said before they left Coruscant.

'These criminals are beyond redemption. The Council says we're to stop them, and by the Force, I will stop them.'

Dooku hated Jade with a passion, and hated that he couldn't even try to stop the man, as he remembered the last time he had tried. He still held the bruise from it.

"Misguided, Master Jade is. Stop him from going too far, I will." Yoda said with wisdom to him, giving them young man a pat on the leg. While Dooku was just nearing adulthood, he had already surpassed his master in height.

Dooku nodded then, burying his anger in the Force. While he held great affection for the alien of no name, Yoda being the closest thing he had to a father, since his real father had abandoned him.

The Force had been regarded as a curse, and Dooku had been left to his own fate…

**"I hope you do Master, I hope you do."**

* * *

**The dark home was enlightened by the sound of burning.**

The Jedi had entered in silence, catching the married couple by surprise, cutting them down despite their objections.

They had begged for their lives, pleading for mercy, but the Jedi had refused to stop.

Of course the green Jedi had tried to stop them, only for them to be far gone, too late to stop in their fury.

The leader had decree that the couple was beyond redemption, that they had never had mercy before, so why were they deserving of it now?

The stranger watched the slaughter, for once admiring the Jedi's prowess, as they effortlessly and efficiently cut down the couple, sparing no skill as they painfully ended the criminals.

He wished he had snacks to bide his time, and he waited until the bodies had gone cold, and the Jedi had left… and then he heard it.

A young cry in the night, a shrill scream of pain and sadness.

The stranger smiled then, ascending the stairs as he kept going up, to the real reason he had come here.

Beyond the cracked stairs, past the decaying door and the darkness, he found a small bundle of blankets arranged around a wriggling shape.

An infant, crying in pain and despair, eyes red and wide as he stepped closer. The babe couldn't have been born more than a few months before, his skin pale and vein-covered as hair had just began to grow.

**"Hello there… my apprentice."**

* * *

**(Tatooine, 31 BBY)**

* * *

**Qui-Gon didn't know why he was here.**

He had been searching for far too long, chasing shadows of the Sith, determined to find the monsters that had kidnapped his padawan.

By any means.

However, just as he had been setting out to Dantooine on a lead, only to receive a holo from a man he had never met before.

Now, he was on old familiar Tatooine, meeting with the man from before.

Now, the former Jedi sat inside a cantina, the man before him was tall, his hair and beard wild and untamed, matched only by his battle-scarred armor.

For all he appeared, the man seemed to be a mercenary, except for the familiar lightning bolt symbol on his chest.

This man worked for Anakin.

"Qui-Gon Jinn… Mister Skywalker speaks fondly of you." The man said warmly with a handshake, going intentionally for Qui-Gon's synthetic hand.

The older man appreciated it, for the mercenary didn't ignore his flaws.

While he had taken time to get used to it, Qui-Gon had grown attached, quite literally, to the arm.

His flaws had become one with him.

"Pardon my gruff, but why did you ask to meet, mister…?" Qui-Gon asked with a raise of his eyebrows, his eyes narrowing at the man.

During his brief travels, he had found it hard to trust anyone.

"You've obviously deduced that I work for Skydroids. Mister Skywalker entrusted to me a series of orders that I would follow in case of his disappearance or death." The warrior said with a frown, a recorder being pulled out in a single flick. "My name is Jango Fett by the way, representative of Skydroids."

"I assume I'm part of one of those orders, mister Fett?" Qui-Gon asked with a glance, already sure of his guess. Qui-Gon might as well have been a detective, and he supposed he might well do that when he found his padawan.

The Order held little for him to go back to, even if he could.

His master was more right than Qui-Gon would ever tell him.

"Indeed mister Jinn. Skywalker called it Jinn Sky. In the event of his incapacitation, you were to be given partial control of Skydroids, and a file of information on the Sith Order." Fett said with a casual drawl, pushing a button swiftly on the recorder as a series of numbers flicked in the air.

Qui-Gon recognized them for what they were, the password for some system or another. He would guess a Republic database.

"Anakin… has information on the Sith?" Qui-Gon asked with widened eyes, his hand paused as he had been reaching for the device.

"Tell me, are you honestly surprised? Skywalker is much more than people see, and I believe you know this by now." Fett said with a smirk, rising from their table with a respectful swagger.

"Can this… can this help me find the Sith?" Qui-Gon asked with something akin to desperation as he grabbed for the recorder, his eyes brighter than they had ever been.

These months of searching had finally amounted to hope.

**"No, but I can."**

* * *

**(77 BBY)**

* * *

**Sheev Palpatine was barely seven when he took a life.**

His master, the Muun that had raised him from birth, had taken an old and battered man to him, his eyes weary and blurry as his wounds bled and his bruises ran deep.

His master smirked and tapped the man atop the head as his prisoner shivered in fear, the human's hands sliced off at the wrists in the first day of his imprisonment.

"Hello apprentice… I bring a gift for you." His master whispered in that smooth, silky voice as he pushed the Jedi over as the man collapsed at Sheev's feet.

"Who is this master?" Sheev asked in a similar whisper, looking over the pathetic wretch before them, most of Sheev's sympathy long gone due to his training.

"One of the filthy Jedi behind your parent's murder. I tracked him down, and brought him before you Sheev… Consider this man… a gift. It is your birthday after all." His master said with a vicious smile, the Force dancing violently through the air as its very touch shook Sheev through his core.

"Kill him, use him, or leave him be. This is your time Sheev, and your gift. Do what you will." His master said with a cold laugh, walking from Sheev's small room with a steady stride, the crying human left at Sheev's feet.

His master's callous nature scared Sheev to the bone, imaging that fury one day turned against him, but also enraged him.

His master held no regard for life, regardless of who held it.

While Sheev could barely be called human, he had respect for live, and longed for power over it.

Sheev longed to create.

**Darth Plagueis longed to pervert it.**

* * *

**(Moraban, Esstran Sector, 70 BBY)**

* * *

**"It is time Sheev…"** Plagueis said with a cold whisper, his apprentice laid out in agony on the stone altar, the boy's limbs tired down by ropes that shouldn't be as strong as they were.

The Force gave strength to whatever he desired.

"Master… please don't do this…" Sheev whimpered in fear, his anger drowned in pain as the reality of his situation sank in.

He had thought they traveled to Moraban for training, only for his master to drag him down to the tombs of ancient Sith, until they found what Plagueis called perfect.

Naga Sadow, once regarded as the greatest Sith Alchemist, and the only Sith Plagueis regarded as a mentor.

"It is entirely too late Sheev… Today is the last day of Sheev Palpatine's life. Today, you will join the Sith. You will be better than any other." Plagueis said with a rising call, but Sheev couldn't see the Muun, his eyes glued on the glowing statue of the ancient Sith.

Whispers filled the tomb then, a cold sensation flowing through Sheev as his bones began to burn.

Then he began to scream his lungs out, his very spirit beginning to burn from within him.

The pain ripped him apart as Sheev lost his very mind as he began to lose himself in the shadowy fugue as it tore through him with the force of a thousand vicious suns.

Until he fell silent, his eyes going dull as his heart came to a halt.

Sheev Palpatine truly died that died, until Darth Plagues laid his hands upon the young teen's chest and began to chant.

With glowing yellow eyes, Plageuis focused intentionally as the Force echoed through the boy… and his heart began beating anew.

The boy lived… But not as he once was.

**"Rise… Sidious."**

* * *

**(Death'S Realm)**

* * *

**"Rise, Harry."** A voice unlike any other spoke out in the darkness, as the entity once known as Harry Potter awakened after some time.

Flexing his tired digits, Harry rose to his feet within the fog, his eyes shaking as he focused on the thin man before him.

In a fine suit and with short cropped hair, Death itself stood before him with a small smile.

While Harry was said to be master over the entity, he was far from, having become its avatar on the mortal plane, having traversed world after world and acting on its behalf.

"Death… did I die again?" Harry asked in a hurried breath, his eyes focusing on his heart as he felt it beat in a rough beat.

He was definitely alive.

"Impressive, being able to transfer your conscience into an artificial form. Quite ingenious." Death complimented him, Harry feeling an odd sense of pride. Death usually insulted him.

"Thank y-"

"You're also an idiot." Death said with a biting remark, slapping Harry across the face without hesitation. "Why in all that is holy, would you design a vessel that could trap your mind within it?"

Harry did admit, that hadn't been his best move.

Then again, he hadn't been making that good of moves lately.

He had lived long enough and acted enough that he hadn't been in the best of minds.

Having been insane multiple times, and absorbing the arrogance of far too many, he had developed many traits that didn't help him too much.

Pride and arrogance had struck him in many ways, no matter how hard he fought to remain virtuous.

"I admit, I'm an idiot. How do I wake up?" Harry asked Death, admitting he needed a bit of help here.

Thinking on it, he needed help more often as the lives went by.

Death nodded then, as it looked skyward in its realm.

"Your mind is trapped within the automaton. While you should be able to use your system to release yourself, the droid is offline. It appears Palpatine is keeping you offline on purpose. I would assume that once the droid is switched back on, you should be able to fix this mess. I wouldn't know too well, considering you designed the damn thing." Death said with a snarky tone, its eyes sharp and judging.

Harry rolled his eyes and gave it that. Death was right, but it often was.

"Now then, I leave you back to your mind, and I do hope you manage to not die again. You should make sure you won't return until Anakin kicks the bucket. Understand that, avatar?" Death threatened him, the cold settling into Harry's very soul.

He nodded slowly as he felt his heart speed up as light began to shimmer around him as warmth filled him.

He knew he'd be trapped once more in his mind, but perhaps he could use that time to figure out his next move.

However, he knew this.

No matter how easy things seemed, he couldn't keep holding back.

He was too much of an idiot to succeed if he didn't fix this.

_**"Damn Potter luck won't let me rest."**_

* * *

**"SC-5 running diagnostics."**

"Forced shutdown detected. System error evident. Diagnostics interrupted. System failure. Database connection offline." A robotic voice whispered in the Skydroids mainframe, the digital wastelands around it devoid of other programs, all the other droids far from connection range… and blocked behind walls of digital protection.

Sidious had learned from his mistakes, enacting protections to block access from spying droids.

He couldn't allow anyone else to discover his secrets.

"Model 'Clara' attempting connection. Connection found. Beginning transfffffeeeee-" The vessel machine tried to say, before a sudden shock burned through it once more.

"Don't worry about a connection my friend… You and I… we're going to make one, until you tell me everything you know." Sidious said with a monstrous grin, his fingers sparking as he delight filled his eyes.

Oh, the droid held so many secrets.

**Ones Sidious couldn't wait to rip out of it.**

* * *

**Author's Note**

So, um… guess who's alive?

I kind of have been facing writer's block, and been busy with a lot of things.

I'm also a Twitch streamer now, so I've been busy.

I've been writing a bit for SfaW, rewriting chapters and writing new ones. I have the last in between chapter for that mostly done, but I've been thinking up bits of this chapter for a while, and have finally put it down in writing.

Not a very long chapter, considering the wait, but I hope you've all enjoyed.

Since I've seen so much criticism of Harry thus far, I'll say this again. (Since I kinda put it in this chapter.)

A theme in this series, is that Harry absorbs the memories and some of the personality of people he becomes.

He doesn't always take over someone's life. (But it's more fun to write the lives where he does.)

But when he does integrate with them, he of course takes on bits of who they are, and becomes a different person life by life.

This is life 75, so understand that Harry isn't the Gryffindor Golden Boy anymore.

He's far from evil, (He's tried that out, didn't work out too well) but he's far from squeaky clean, nor is he a paragon of virtue.

As well, he has taken on the good and bad of everyone he's been, including their morals and their sins.

He's a lot more prideful than he used to be, and a bit more arrogant as a result…

Hopefully that cleared things up, and since I breached the gap, I can update more frequently. I often have gaps in stories where I can't think.

**Have a good one guys.**


	9. Spirits

**Life 75: Chosen Again**

* * *

**(Jakku, 31 BBY)**

* * *

**"What are we doing here Fett…?"** Former Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn asked of his companion, the two of them seated in the confines of the Mandalorian's infamous ship.

They had traveled across the Outer Rim, following years-old information Anakin had stored away, chasing the shadow of Darth Sidious.

However, over the time they traveled, both found that the trail they were on was starting to drift off into space, leaving them confused and angry as sin.

Even Jango had been confused, as the Skydroid wavelength was silent, and the inroads that previously connected the company to Sidious' files, were all cut away.

Quite simply, the two of them were adrift in space, chasing ghosts.

"I've already told you, we're on the last archive Anakin found. Something about a facility on the planet, discontinued." Jango said with something akin to boredom, looking over the planet surface as the Slave I drifted closer to the endless desert. "You know… this place kinda reminds me of Concord, though from what I've heard, the people aren't anything close."

"Concord?" Qui-Gon asked of the man, his mind searching if he had heard of such a place, only for a long lost memory to return. "Mandalore Sector, correct? Concord Dawn? That was your home?"

"Yep. Or, it was. I left a long time ago… Being Mandalore doesn't really let you stay in one place." Jango said with a quiet tone, something close to sadness echoing in the ship. Qui-Gon caught onto whatever had happened to the man, and considered it not worth dragging up.

Something had obviously happened, but they weren't going to Jakku to bond over past trauma, they were there to find the base of an evil space sorcerer and rescue a friend.

"This facility… does the archive say how long it's been shut down for?"

**"Thirty-three years."**

* * *

**(64 BBY)**

* * *

**Jakku was a unique world.**

Such a plain and boring world, far from the shining lights of the Inner Core, and left abandoned on the farthest reaches of the known galaxy.

So insignificant, yet so potent in the Force, the aura of it piercing through the planet and shining so brightly that its power blinded all that passed by.

However, the Force was not always obvious.

The sheer power radiating off of the planet, bled through into the emptiness around it, and it's isolated nature left those sensitive to the Force completely incapable of sensing it.

Like a drop of whiskey in an ocean, no matter how potent, it was impossible to find.

Unless you stood at the core itself.

The Muun once known as Hego Damask the second, stood before the burning light of the planet's core, and marveled at such radiant and raw power.

The Force sang through the depths, and he felt its fingers scratch at his very soul, or what remained of it.

However sweet its song, he also heard the screams and shouts echoing through the Force, a million voices all screaming for blood.

Hego let the Force of all those Sith that had come before, fill his mind and heart as he stepped closer to the glass that separated his body from the heart of the planet.

His heart so close to another.

His body shook as he felt the unnatural heat fill him, and he smiled.

He closed his eyes, and he turned on the spot, his thin lips raising in a smile.

"Do come closer Sidious, you and I both know that stealth was never your expertise." Hego said smugly, as he felt the presence of his apprentice come closer to his domain.

Sheev was merely a young man of twenty now, his entire life spent in training under Hego's hand.

The perfect apprentice raised from infancy, all leading up to this very moment, where Sidious would fulfill the true purpose of the Sith Apprentice.

When the Apprentice would become the Master, and the Sith would change yet again, and the cycle would continue once again.

However, Hego, who had followed Bane's example for so long, felt… disappointment.

His studies had only just begun to succeed, and already his apprentice considered himself ready to replace him.

Hego felt outrage then, that this foolish boy sought to ruin all he had worked for over the centuries.

No… he wouldn't let him.

Darth Plagueis would live on, no matter how much Sidious desired his death.

For you see, while Sidious had failed at learning the prime lesson of stealth and secrecy.

**Plagueis excelled.**

* * *

**(Present)**

* * *

**"The Jakku Observatory…"** Qui-Gon said with an interested mutter, his eyes reading over the holovid they had found. One of Jakku's few recorded instances of it's history, and it detailed the ancient observatory that had once served as the throne of Jakku's power.

Capable of seeing all the way to the Inner Rim, and leading down to Jakku's core, the Observatory was a piece of Jakku's history and at the center of the planet's life.

Until some shadowy organization had bought out the planet's defense core, and had taken the observatory as its own.

Some sort of "restoration" effort, which went nowhere and still hadn't, over eighty years later.

Now, the observatory lay abandoned and hosted… something, considering the odd ships that docked at odd hours of the night, almost every night.

"Yeah, from what I've gotten from the locals, seems almost like a ghost story. Abandoned place, weird ships that come in and have no one in them. Downright strange." Jango said with a yawn, the two of them sitting in what passed as an inn on the planet, the blaster holes in the walls speak to its quality.

If it wasn't the gruesome food that made them uncomfortable, it was the locals.

Downright awful people, and Jango had met some awful people.

"So, not only are we searching for lost history, now we're looking into literal ghosts… How wonderful." Qui-Gon said with a sigh, planning out how they'd get into the place, since a part of the restoration seemed to be security… that had never been turned off.

And Jango was steering their little trip, since Qui-Gon had refused to carry a blaster.

Undignified.

"Well, look at it this way Jinn, ghosts can't be as dangerous as Sith."

**"You say that…"**

* * *

**(Coruscant)**

* * *

**"Courier seven-four-seven, checking in."** A young man dressed in black said as he drew his ship closer into the port, the gleaming lights ahead drawing him in.

He listened as the confirmation signal began to hum and process, tapping his fingers as he waited.

"Understood Courier, you have an appointment at the Jedi Council. You are requested to hurry." The operator said almost robotically, leaving the Courier confused as could be.

He had made a living delivering packages and messages back and forth for travelers, merchants, and sometimes the odd senator…. But never someone as high-profile as the Jedi.

His mind raced at what the Jedi would want with Czerka Communications, especially with the company's… less than stellar reputation.

Granted, he was good at his job, but good enough that the Jedi asked for him in particular?

**What the kriff was he supposed to deliver?**

* * *

**"These droids are way too familiar!"** Jango called out as he blasted the head off another one of the metal bastards, watching the droid crumple as it literally lost its mind.

Qui-Gon provided cover, having found a vibroblade that had actually rusted, and found it not too hard to substitute it for a saber.

They had managed to avoid the turrets that littered the observatory, finding less of an ancient relic of the past, and more a militarized complex.

Odd as it had been, they had pressed forward and found a darkened bunker filled with droids a little too precise.. A little too powerful.

It was then, as yet another wave ran towards them, that it kicked into Jango's mind where he had seen the oddly muscular droids before.

"They've cannibalized Skydroids…" Jango said with a scoff, noting how stupid the droids looked. Obviously, whoever had taken the droids apart had thought the additional layers of armor would help the droids be more capable.

How easy Qui-Gon tore them apart with a rusty blade, proved otherwise.

"Surely the company's better defended than that?" Qui-Gon asked with a raised eye, kicking a droid head aside as the two took a breath, an odd silence settling in as the near endless waves seemed to come to an end for now.

"It is… how they got these many droids is beyond me. Skydroids has a very exact list of people we sell to, and definitely not to people that build shady bunkers in the Outer Rim." Jango said with a scowl, bending down to grab the bashed in droid skull, and pulled free a familiar red chip from the confines of it.

The lightning bolt on it was clear to see, but the weird veins on the chip threw him off.

**What in Sith Hell was going on…?**

* * *

**(An hour later)**

* * *

**"You know, I didn't think I'd die like this."** Jango muttered with a grunt as he activated the rarely used flamer on his suit, carefully trying to sear only the gaping wound in his stomach.

What kind of droid uses ballistic weaponry?

He'd lost contact with Qui-Gon halfway through the complex, finding himself alone and cornered by far too many droids for his liking, taking refuge in some strange laboratory after dragging his sorry self through endless halls.

Now, he was trying to cauterize most of his stomach, while his vision began to blur and his blood seemed to cover everything in sight.

"Thought it'd be some brute or a busty barmaid, but not a kriffing pea shooter…"

As Mandalore, he had faced countless armies and foes, and now a freaking droid with a pellet gun grazed him.

What a wonderful warrior he was…

While he would have preferred to muse to himself in pain, he heard an odd series of tones play out, as a flicker of light drew his eyes to the corner of the lab.

A little glass pyramid caught his eye.

The red light was so… enticing.

**"Look at you."**

* * *

**This door hadn't been there before.**

Qui-Gon was sure of it, as he had been walking in what he was sure was a circle.

He had been separated from Jango when he entered the bunker, finding a hall that forked in two separate paths, promising to keep in contact over the Skydroids comsystem.

However, less than an hour into their journey, their communicators had lost all connection, and Qui-Gon found himself trapped.

He had left what looked like a parlor, and found himself in this mysterious tunnel that appeared to be an endless circle, seeing the same lights on the walls that he had found before.

Now, he had spent almost an hour of walking in a circle, until this door had appeared out of nowhere, his curiosity more than peeked.

However, what he found was more than interesting enough.

The den of a Sith…

Stepping through into the literal unknown, he saw a light flicker into being as he saw what appeared to be a suit of armor sitting in meditation, and a familiar and odd object in its hand.

**A broken lightsaber.**

* * *

**(Unknown Regions)**

* * *

**"To think… a Jedi and a Mandalorian have come calling."** A cold voice muttered out in amusement, watching the security footage play out before his eyes, the Jedi catching his attention.

Well, former Jedi from what he had heard from his informants.

How odd, a Jedi refusing to ascend to the rank of Master, and then leaving the Order to follow his heart, and to get revenge.

A Jedi like that hadn't come around in centuries.

He laughed then, as he looked aside and saw the silly Mandalore burn himself. As for all that was in the man's armory, he obviously had not expected a ballistic assault.

So few did, with the popularity of blasters.

However, he was made of older stock than that, and planned ahead.

He was far too familiar with the Jedi Order, and exactly how their little minds worked, and their failures.

The Mandalorian was even easier to predict than the Jedi, being such a weaker mind to crack.

Too easy in fact.

He had waited almost a century for someone to step into his little trap, and finally someone had.

Shame it happened to such interesting men, he couldn't wait to see what they'd do with his gift.

They couldn't die quite yet, he had decided on that.

"Deactivate Core Security. Let them pass, but hide the sanctum." He spoke out in his chambers, the aged droid standing before him nodding at once.

"Immediately. Any other orders Master?" The droid asked in adoration, standing at attention for anything its master may command.

He thought about it then, about where all the pieces lay, and what players remained.

The balance had been tipped, and he wasn't too entertained by that.

It was time to put things back on track, and revive the game from the sorry state the Dark had put it in.

Time to enact the first of many ideas he had put in place long ago, and the first piece he needed to tip the scales back in order.

**"Activate Order… Fulcrum."**

* * *

_**Wake Up**_

The young man's eyes snapped open, a sudden chill flowing through his body as he rose from the metal bench that had served as his bed for far too long.

Looking around in confusion, he found nothing amiss in the prison cell the Sith had locked him within, nothing except for the voice he swore he had heard.

_**The Door Is Open**_

He almost had a heart attack then, as that same voice spoke again, the power of it thrumming through his soul as he felt almost on fire.

The Force was shaking through him, his mind burning from the strain of it as he felt the weight of the galaxy pressing down on his mortal mind.

Confused and frightened at all of this, he turned to the electronically sealed door, the one he only saw open when he had been forced inside, and found a thin gap in it.

Struggling to his feet, he reached out to it… and found it slid open with ease.

Leaning on the wall for cover, he looked into the dark hallways beyond it, and began to limp his way to freedom.

The impossibility of it all left for later, he began to make his escape from the Sith's prison.

He wasn't sticking around,** Obi-Wan was sure of that.**

* * *

**"Security has been tripped on the Jakku facility! I must alert t-."** A protocol droid said out with surprise, quickly moving to press a button that would alert its master, however just as it made to act it found a blaster at its back and an arm wrapped around its neck.

"Oh my!" It called out, shocked at the blaster that began to warm up against the droid's neck.

"Can't let you do that pal." A cloaked man said with a smirk, quickly snapping the droid's neck clean off with ease.

Letting the droid drop, he walked over it like he was walking on gravel, ignoring the crunch of parts.

Before him, sat a computer system unlike almost any, screens all across the wall all showing off scenes from different worlds and people.

With a laugh, Stravus pulled free a computer drive from his pockets and pressed it into one of the computer screens.

As soon as he did, the drive literally melted into the computer, and the entire system went dark.

He waited in the room then, as a low whirring sound was all he heard, then… a single light began to fill the room.

Then, a familiar feminine voice spoke.

**"Connection, found. SC-5 booting up."**

* * *

**Author's Note**

For anyone curious at my depiction of Jango Fett, the Jedi never went to arrest the Mandalorians, never leading to the resurgence of Deathwatch, never leading to Jango being disgraced by the Mandalorians, and him still being Mandalore.

Also, one more chapter until the next Arc. Once again sorry for the short chapter, but once the Clone Wars Arc begins, I'll be uploading more frequently.

An edit to this, since I've had confusion in the reviews., and NO ONE is telling me WHAT is confusing them, I'll take a guess. HEGO IS PLAGUEIS.

I CAN'T HELP YOU UNDERSTAND, IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT CONFUSES YOU. I'M NOT PSYCHIC.


	10. Revival

**Life 75: Chosen Again**

**Episode II: Shifting Forces**

"Darkness won over pride, and barely was a twisted victory wrenched from the hearts of the bold.  
Now, years have passed and the Dark Side schemes from within the light itself, but a few know of the secrets held so dearly be their adversaries.  
Now, the Chosen One can sit aside no longer, as the game changes around him.  
And the Force is no longer silent..."

**Chapter 1: ****Revival**

* * *

**(25 BBY)**

* * *

"Anakin! What have I said about running off?" A stern voice called out as I emerged through the fog around us, the wreckage of the ship we'd traveled out to found. A Republic cruiser, the Teal Talon, had been shot down over Wild Space, leaving the ship and it's crew to fall to the planet below.

I shook off the damp chills of the wind and laid eyes on the man before me, the one I had been sworn into service under.

Mace Windu, the exile of Haruun Kal, the Amethyst Blade… and my master in the Jedi Order.

A man that I had once thought hated me, only to learn that he just really didn't like me. A shame that we were stuck together, well… a shame for him.

He was fun to toy with.

"Master Windu, I was merely searching for the vessel's black box." I said with clarity as I held the storage chip out to him, the search having been straight forward enough.

The Order hoped it held some information about what had happened to the crew.

This was becoming a trend.

Ever since the kidnapping of Kenobi, and the resignation of Qui-Gon, the Galaxy hadn't been the same.

Attacks and freak accidents happening to innocents and those that held knowledge, strong minded figures left mewing cowards in the dark, and a almost palpable wave of darkness in the Force.

And I knew that Sidious had to be responsible, but I had taken steps back over the years.

I had failed, in more ways than one, and Sidious had taken prime advantage of that, expanding his resources and allies quickly in the time it took to re-establish my surveillance.

However, my attention had been focused elsewhere. My Jedi Training had begun, Windu taking me on after the leaving of the Jedi most eager to train me, and with Kenobi's changes… Windu was deemed the more able Master, and I was left to learn from the stern face of the Order.

Some days I did wonder what it would be like if Qui-Gon had trained me, if I hadn't failed Kenobi as I did… but as the Grandmaster had said many times before, it did not do to dwell on regrets.

"Hmm… I don't recognize the make of this chip. Definitely not Republic standard…" Windu said with a huff of air, his features annoyed and flicking back and forth from the chip and the charred remains of the ship we'd come to find.

That was something I had realized as well, and the oddity of it. Why would a Republic cruiser hold a Black Box Chip of an unknown design?

"Come Anakin, we've done all we can here." Windu said to me with a quick gesture and I simply followed in suit.

I had learned that Windu wasn't nearly as fun to argue with as Kenobi had been.

Sometimes, I wonder what he was up to, and where Qui-Gon had gone off to.

However, I wished them well.

* * *

**(Coruscant)**

* * *

"Your thoughts have been troubling you again, haven't they?" The most understanding of the High Council asked, the youth before him just grimacing as thoughts of before came to mind.

Plo Koon apologized silently as he watched the man he had known since he was but a child, and the former padawan of a dear friend.

Obi-Wan merely shrugged off his concerns as he focused on the small crystal in his palm.

So very bright, yet tarnished with age and neglect.

It should have been beautiful, yet all he felt for it was sadness.

"Obi-Wan… talk to me, please. These thoughts of yours do you more harm than good." Plo Koon insisted, his own hand coming down to rest over the troublesome crystal, finally drawing Obi-Wan's eyes to his own, however hidden they were.

"Why didn't they reinstate him Master Koon…?" Obi-Wan asked under his breath, his blue eyes withering as Plo instantly knew what troubled him.

"Obi-Wan, we've been over this. Qui-Gon refused to rejoin, despite our offers. He wouldn't say why, but perhaps you can ask him that yourself." Plo suggested diplomatically, trying to bring some calm to the troubled young man he had watched change so very much.

"Oh I would, if the Council wasn't sending me off world every change they got and making ridiculous demands…"Obi-Wan said with such disdain that Plo was honestly surprised. He hadn't gotten Obi-Wan to open up as he did before, and hadn't expected so much vitriol for the Council.

"Obi-Wan, you know that taking a padawan would do you good, and help you along to the rank of Master." Plo argued back at him, hoping he'd see some reason. He knew well enough the effects a Padawan had on a master, and Obi-Wan could only prosper.

"Oh yes, let's give the traumatized Jedi a Padawan, after saying he was too unstable for one…" Obi-Wan practically snarled out as he stared back at the Kel Dor master, who only took a breath in the face of such adversity.

"Obi-Wan, that decision was not my own, so please do not berate me for it. Besides, you must understand that you were not ready. Capture and torment from a Sith does more harm to the mind and soul than you can possibly measure"

"Then why am I even here? Half of you treat me like I'm broken, and the other expect me to pop a red saber and cut you all down like an animal!" Obi-Wan cried out as he snatched his souvenir back from the Jedi Master, the comforting colors of it dulling his mood, but his eyes kept their flame.

"I have never treated you like anything less than my friend Obi-Wan, just as I did for your master." Plo Koon said to him softly, his mind coming to a decision. "Mandalore."

Obi-Wan in tune just sputtered, the sudden change of conversation catching him off guard.

"What did you say?"

"Qui-Gon Jinn is on Mandalore, last I heard from him, he's gone into law enforcement. Perhaps a visit should be on the schedule?" Plo Koon suggested with a small smile, knowing the young man's mood could only improve after seeing his former master alive and well.

As well, Plo knew of other reasons Obi-Wan held so much affection for the planet, but he kept his knowledge to himself.

"T-thank you Master Koon, I'm sorry for my outburst…" Obi-Wan said sorrowfully, feeling more akin to a child than a young knight of the Force, but his elder simply placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Never mind it Obi-Wan, our hearts often lead us to unsavory actions. We must simply control where we're led."

Pale skin and blonde curls flashed through Obi-Wan's mind so suddenly he felt attacked, but he merely set his mind to peace.

"What should I do?"

"Do as you have always, trust in yourself."

* * *

"So tell me… what have you learned?" I asked one of the few men I completely trusted, the Mandalorian coming to a rest before me.

I had freed myself of Windu's gentle instructions and had checked in with the Skydroids office in the capital, having missed a week due to my latest mission.

Now, the newly returned Jango Fett, Mandalore the Forsaken, had come to report in on the darkness he had been wading through.

He and I had engaged in a chess game of sorts, concerning the balance of things.

Not long after I had been freed from the droid I had unwisely designed, I had been reunited with my right hand man, and Jango had told me of distressing and odd news.

He had been approached for a job, which wasn't that odd considering that his role in my company was mostly kept silent, aside from a trusted few that knew.

However, when the offer came from a former Jedi Master, potential Sith, Dooku himself, it was suspected to be more.

To think… Dooku wanted to create a clone army for the Republic. Totally doesn't seem untrustworthy at all.

Having heard the rumors that had spread after Kenobi had made his way back to the Order, Dooku was in league with Sidious himself, leaving no doubt that those clones were not something to be trusted.

However, I saw the use for them, and allowed Jango to sign on to the program, provided his "main employer" was given a creator's key to the program.

Kamino, had built in programming into their clones, allowing for implication of all sorts of commands, all locked behind creator keys. The Director of Kamino held one, and Sidious no doubt held one as well, but I held the last one.

The trigger key, as I had heard it called.

I saw all that went into those clones, and I was surprised how easy it was to change a few numbers here and there.

Regardless, I put the past behind me and focused on the now.

"Not much I'm afraid, but there has been progress on the program. The clones are battle ready, so they say." Jango said with an unhappy grimace as he took another drink from the bar I had installed.

Yeah, Master Windu insisted I was too young, but I had several thousand years under my collective lifetime, I was damn well old enough for crappy alien booze.

"Then no doubt Sidious plans on them being unveiled soon. Has Dooku yet admitted what their use is to be?" I asked him as soon as the burning in my throat ceased, my eyes focused once more on my enforcer.

"No, merely that he foresees difficulties in the Republic's future… There's been rumors sir." Jango said with a purposeful gaze, and I knew what he was hinting at.

"This… Separatist movement."

"Indeed, it's mostly smoke at the moment, but I've heard some complaints from several senators and nobles, and they are not happy. It would be all too easy to lure them into a group like that." Jango agreed as he took a seat before me, my eyes falling the holovid before me, one that I had gotten at much too expensive a price.

Existence of evil, sealed away within a recording.

"Sidious plays his hand soon then, no matter what we've set forward." I said with a huff of breath, my eyes trailing away from my friend and towards the blazing Coruscant sunset.

It was getting late, far too late... but I felt something. Beyond me.

_What was going on?_

* * *

**"I fear for him Master, he is not the man we knew any longer."**

**"Of that, we can not change."**

* * *

**(31 BBY)**

* * *

"Leaving so soon Kenobi?" That aged voice spoke out in the flashing lights of the base's alarms, Obi-Wan turning on the spot to face the form of a man he had ever really met before.

Dooku, one of the oldest and wisest in the Order, the man who had trained and raised his very own master.

And the traitor they hadn't expected.

Now, the former Jedi stood clothed in shadows, a blazing crimson blade at his side.

"Oh yes, I appreciated the stay, but I simply must be going." Obi-Wan muttered out sarcastically as he ignored the pain running through his shoulder, the saber burn still present from his last meeting with the Animal, as he had come to call the other Sith.

The Zabrak, who had let no end come to Obi-Wan's torment while held within their base.

"Do not presume to hide your pain from me young one, I see it painted on your face. I had hoped you would be free from suffering while staying with us, but I had hoped you would actually listen." Dooku said with all the disappointed fury of an instructor, but Obi-Wan could only feel his own rage bellow at the calm tones of the man before him.

"Listen? To a Sith, one who's held me captive here for who knows how long? Why, by the Force, would I ever listen to you?" Obi-Wan nearly snarled out as he braced himself against the door out of the base, keeping his distance from Dooku, disarmed as he was.

If only his beautiful saber was with him, as it had always been a comforting presence.

"Because shadows move among the light Obi-Wan, and the Jedi Order is diseased, but I see you will not even give me the time to explain." Dooku said with a frown as he deactivated his saber, before looking back at the man he could have called grandson at one point in time. If only things had gone differently…

"Besides, you are alone in a world beyond your understanding, defenseless."

"The Force is with me, I am never defenseless." Obi-Wan bit back, his teachings coming forth to warm him from the piercing darkness around him, but Dooku merely laughed.

"Do the words of the Jedi comfort you Obi-Wan? They did it for me once, but then I learned our true intention. We were not meant to be the dogs of politicians and liars. We were supposed to be virtuous warriors, truly the protectors of good in the Galaxy, not the pathetic imitations we act as now." Dooku said with a sad mumble, his eyes closing as he reflected on all he knew and considered, of the sinister feeling he had felt when he left the Jedi Temple for the final time.

"We were meant for more Obi-Wan, you were meant for more." Dooku finished off his tirade, tired as he reached within his robes and retrieved a small object.

A Kyber crystal, so delicate and bright, that one would think it glowed from within.

And so very stained with the blood of the Force, leaving the gem a glowing scarlet.

"If you must leave, return to the life you thought was right, take my words with you Obi-Wan." Dooku said softly as he passed the crystal to the young man, who only looked at him in confusion before hesitantly taking it.

"I wish you could understand." Dooku said in parting, his back now turned away Obi-Wan staggered out the open door, the dark world outside welcoming him into its midst.

And the lost Knight was led astray.

* * *

**(Dathomir, 25 BBY)**

* * *

"You know, you are not an easy person to find my young friend." A gentle voice spoke out with humor, his feets crossing through the sands of the darkened world, a robed figure meeting his gaze.

"I did not come to this world to be found so easily, but I guess even it has disappointed me…" Was her reply, the hood hiding her away coming down to his surprise, and he finally set eyes on the one he had been searching for.

Her eyes were a cold shade of blue, only to be complimented by her skin, so pale it looked as if she was life made pure of snow.

Her eyes though, held such suffering that he felt a little of himself crumble in her intense gaze.

"This world is not for Jedi, why are you?" She asked of him, though she out of sight carried a saber, one with a blade as brilliant- as her eyes.

"I am no longer a Jedi my dear, but I do believe you are." He said just as softly, smiling at her as he pretended not to notice her clip away her saber back to her belt.

She merely frowned at him in frustration, and perhaps a little rage in the corners of her mood.

"I was never properly inducted, merely trained." She argued as memories of a kind face flashed before her eyes, and of the fate that was left for such kindness in the Galaxy.

"Better than many are. I can not tell you how many Force sensitive people I have met on my travels, who knew not what the Force even was." He said with a chuckle, her eyes looking past his beard and long hair and falling on the mechanical arm affixed to him, no attempt to hide it from sight.

"Who are you?" She asked of him, the Force giving her insight, but not knowledge of the mysterious older man before her.

However, she felt an unnerving sense of peace, that which she had never felt before.

He just smiled that same damn smile at her, that soft one that made her believe that he held the answers to all her problems in his palm.

"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, I used to be a Jedi." He said warmly as he extended his remaining hand to her, which she took reluctantly.

"I… I don't know who I am anymore, but my name used to be Ventress." She muttered as her eyes longed for any place that wasn't him, but he just smiled at her in return.

"I'm sure we'll get along wonderfully."

* * *

Unknown to all that could have possibly felt it, a surge of energy blasted it's way through the Force and the Galaxy itself, one very similar to a wave of energy last felt over sixteen years before.

The Force itself quaked and bellowed as an old, but strong light began to shine through the darkness that had begun to cloak the Galaxy, as one soul tucked away in bed awoke in a panic.

An innocent, trained in the ways of peace and prosperity, suddenly knew so very much.

Pain, suffering, love, and hate all flooded that poor mind, and a person that was meant to be a paragon, to be valiant and incorruptible, became more than possibly imagined.

But not impossible, for it had happened before.

A vergence, in the Force, but of a different kind.

Where one was bathed in darkness and death, this one shined dimly, yet with so much energy and life to it that it blasted away all doubt that could have fallen.

The Force had acted in accordance with a being beyond its grasp.

Life had interfered, as she woke to a understanding beyond any other.

She looked around her in despair, as she took a breath of frustration and released it into the void around her, and felt it pierce through her soul.

"Gotta be better than Columbia…"

* * *

**A.N:**

So... I'm back. Been a while. I want to say that me finally updating means that I'll be more active, but it's kinda the opposite. The new year already has things set out for me to do, and I doubt I'll have time enough to actually write. At the moment, I should be sound asleep, but I felt it was time enough to update.

Short chapter, I know, but it's to move things along.

And don't worry, all that's happened since the conclusion of the Phantom Menace arc will be explained, as we move into the next arc.

Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you all when I do.

Also, FF is so much ruder than AO3. Like, telling me my writing sucks and that each chapter is worst than the last, does not make me feel good about myself, lol.

As well, I stopped with the bolding, but it's a creative choice, so fuck everyone that complained about it.

Hope you all had a good holiday and New Year's.

**-Oscar**


	11. Fuck this story

Fuck it.

I have grown to hate this story with every fiber of my being.

It started as basically a crack story, silly and not very impactful, but then I somewhere along the line decided that I wanted it to be more serious.

And if it wasn't the people complaining about a lack of humor that pissed me off, IT WAS THE FUCKING PEOPLE THAT DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW GOD DAMN TIME WORKS IN STAR WARS.

IT WORKS ON A B.C SYSTEM YOU FUCKING IDIOTS.

Now then, I have grown to basically hate the hell out of this story.

I made the revival chapter to gauge interest, as originally I had intended for the bulk of this story to be during the Clone Wars, so I planned the time jump in order to get to material I'd be more comfortable writing.

And even when I put actual effort in, people still complained.

I've been writing this story for over two years, and now only has it been the most daunting to write, it is also the most annoying.

It got so much fucking attention, that I didn't know what the hell to do. People complained so I tried to change things to better suit what they wanted, then other people came along and demanded for something else.

Hell, there was demands for actual humor besides the cynical snark I had written previously for the story, and I realized that I couldn't really write humor anymore, thus the shift to drama/sci-fi instead.

Also, it's been a tough fucking two years, and seeing assholes telling me that my writing is awful and the worst to ever exist, REALLY doesn't help my fucking self esteem.

So, that's the sum of it.

I TRIED with this story, I have come back time and again to it to try to salvage it, but I'm abandoning it.

I have abandoned works before, usually for one reason or another, mostly because I just can't write them anymore.

Chosen Again? I'm abandoning it because I don't want to hear it anymore.

To those of you that enjoyed this story and your reviews reflected it, thank you from the bottom of my heart. (And I may one day return to this story, or more accurately, go with my other Star Wars life idea to replace it.)

To those of you that beat down a person because you don't bother to understand the fucking universe of the story you're reading, fuck off and sleep with Jar jar.

Also, my enthusiasm for Star Wars died a little after Rise of Skywalker.

Ramble over, and so is this story.

It's been a long and annoying ride, and one I'm glad to step off.

As well, this story has never been my best work, and it used to piss me off that it got more attention than my other stories that were far better.

But whatever, Ster Wers.

It's currently... 7:25 in the morning, but I'm pissed and done.

Oh yeah, by the way, what was to happen.

The second Vergence is Ahsoka, but I won't tell everything that was the happen regarding her, because I'll likely recycle that plotline for a different story.

This was to be an Anakin/Ahsoka story, but I fucking grew to hate it before she was even properly introduced.

Good news is that at least I have stories I don't hate.

Have a good day everyone.


End file.
